We officially became an Affirming church in May of this year, meaning we Publically, Intentionally, and Explicitly Affirm the place of 2SLGBTQ+ people in all aspects of our life, work, and ministry. By becoming an Affirming Church, we committed to a continued Journey of Faith, Education, and Discovery. So today, let us continue on this journey together.

Today’s Psalm was from the Book of Exodus. This part of the bible is full of action – the burning bush, the plagues, pillars of fire and smoke, the parting of the waters, the decimation of the Pharaoh’s army. Things that amaze, that are worthy of writing down, that become ingrained in the cultural consciousness. Indeed, the burning bush is on the United Church of Canada logo. A symbol of God calling us to action, to go to Pharaoh and tell him “Let My People Go!”.

As we generally say anything miraculous outside the bible was happenstance or trickery, this puts the date of the last “real” miracle around 55 CE during Paul’s third missionary journey – nearly 2000 years ago. Since then, all we’ve had are the bible to teach us and symbols to rally around: predominantly the cross.

Symbols are important. They inspire us, they help us move forward. We look up at the cross and see a symbol of hope. But certainly not everyone sees it that way. After all, instead of bringing the justice and freedom of the God of the Isrealites, churches have led a legacy of oppression reaching back hundreds of years. The Crusades are one example. Another? Residential schools – something that was still going on during my lifetime! Child molestation by priests in the Catholic church, which the pope only apologised for in 2008. The active anti-gay, anti-trans stance of many churches propagating hate against the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The list goes on. 

Honestly, it seems only because Christians are still the legacy power that the cross hasn’t gone the way of other historically loved symbols. The word “swastika” comes from Sanskrit, where it means “conductive to well-being”. In Hinduism it and its mirror symbolise day and night. In Buddhism, it represents the footprints of the Buddha. It was even used in early Byzantine Christian art. 

It took a world war to do it, but this symbol is now indelibly tied to Naziism and a still-active anti-semetic movement. It’s a symbol which evokes a visceral reaction in us, that makes us pull back from what is now: undeniably, a symbol of hate. I wonder if any First Nations people think the same when they see a cross. 

Now, I’ve picked a particularly extreme example, but I think it reinforces the importance of symbols in our daily lives. Some bring us hope, others bring disgust. And let us be clear: the cross is, for many people, a symbol of pain. For instance, gay or trans people outside the church. Some churches think it’s enough to simply not contribute to oppression; but here, at West Point Grey United, we’ve said that’s not enough. We take the stance that “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. So we start our services with a land acknowledgement, to make our stance on reconciliation clear to anyone joining us. We display pride flags, so people can see that we explicitly support the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people. 

There is, naturally, always more to do. We are paladins of hope; it’s an occupation, not a publicity stunt. So we have to work to keep improving things. Let’s look at another symbol for a moment: the bathroom sign.

The modern stick-figure “man” and “woman” bathroom signs were first standardised in the 1960s as part of a British Rail modernization program. While it’s becoming somewhat archaic in an age where women often if not typically wear pants, it is nonetheless what we’ve got. Standard. Simple to use.

But what about people like me, people who don’t identify with either “man” or “woman”? Most public spaces don’t have non-gendered washrooms, and even in those that do it was often put in as an afterthought. At my work, every floor has a “men’s washroom” and a “women’s washroom”, but the only “all gender” washroom is 11 floors down from my desk. Here, our all-gender washroom is located in the vestry, down a narrow corridor. In other places, the only all-gender option is combined with the accessible washroom and the baby change area. And I don’t really want to add to the daily frustrations of someone confined to a wheelchair. Or of a parent of a currently-quite-smelly infant.

While I do promote the installation of true gender-neutral washrooms in new buildings (good examples can be found in the UBC student Life building or the restaurant Anh and Chi), it would be fairly expensive to replace every washroom in every historic building or conservative new-build. Other solutions exist, though. For instance, the City of Vancouver often puts a “gender-diverse people welcome” addendum to their washroom signs. As a trans-feminine person, my preferred washroom is the Women’s. Seeing a sign like that gives me peace-of-mind to go in, do my business, and leave. Or touch-up my make-up. Especially in an age where many US politicians are trying police the genitals of any broad-shouldered woman entering a women’s washroom, it’s these little things that make a difference – and, if it’s an issue of privacy, perhaps we should consider closing the gaps in the doors instead of locking out trans- and non-binary people.

Now, we don’t need to walk into other churches, turn walking sticks to snakes, and demand they subscribe to our view of things. After all, our other reading says “Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” But we should do what is in our power to protect God’s children, our siblings. 

West Point Grey United is a symbol of God’s love and hope in our neighbourhood. We’re the closest Affirming congregation to UBC. Our intercultural congregation experiences the Pentecost’s blessing of understanding each and every week. 

Our words and deeds further the work of the Holy Spirit. We will set an example for others; by walking in the footsteps of Christ, we will show that the cross should, indeed, symbolise “hope”. By donating to organisations who help those with less privilege. By voting for representatives who will further God’s call to care for one another. And, maybe, by modifying our bathroom signs.

We officially became an Affirming church in May of this year, meaning we Publically, Intentionally, and Explicitly Affirm the place of 2SLGBTQ+ people in all aspects of our life, work, and ministry. By becoming an Affirming Church, we committed to a continued Journey of Faith, Education, and Discovery. So today, let us continue on this journey together.

Today’s Psalm was from the Book of Exodus. This part of the bible is full of action – the burning bush, the plagues, pillars of fire and smoke, the parting of the waters, the decimation of the Pharaoh’s army. Things that amaze, that are worthy of writing down, that become ingrained in the cultural consciousness. Indeed, the burning bush is on the United Church of Canada logo. A symbol of God calling us to action, to go to Pharaoh and tell him “Let My People Go!”.

As we generally say anything miraculous outside the bible was happenstance or trickery, this puts the date of the last “real” miracle around 55 CE during Paul’s third missionary journey – nearly 2000 years ago. Since then, all we’ve had are the bible to teach us and symbols to rally around: predominantly the cross.

Symbols are important. They inspire us, they help us move forward. We look up at the cross and see a symbol of hope. But certainly not everyone sees it that way. After all, instead of bringing the justice and freedom of the God of the Isrealites, churches have led a legacy of oppression reaching back hundreds of years. The Crusades are one example. Another? Residential schools – something that was still going on during my lifetime! Child molestation by priests in the Catholic church, which the pope only apologised for in 2008. The active anti-gay, anti-trans stance of many churches propagating hate against the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The list goes on. 

Honestly, it seems only because Christians are still the legacy power that the cross hasn’t gone the way of other historically loved symbols. The word “swastika” comes from Sanskrit, where it means “conductive to well-being”. In Hinduism it and its mirror symbolise day and night. In Buddhism, it represents the footprints of the Buddha. It was even used in early Byzantine Christian art. 

It took a world war to do it, but this symbol is now indelibly tied to Naziism and a still-active anti-semetic movement. It’s a symbol which evokes a visceral reaction in us, that makes us pull back from what is now: undeniably, a symbol of hate. I wonder if any First Nations people think the same when they see a cross. 

Now, I’ve picked a particularly extreme example, but I think it reinforces the importance of symbols in our daily lives. Some bring us hope, others bring disgust. And let us be clear: the cross is, for many people, a symbol of pain. For instance, gay or trans people outside the church. Some churches think it’s enough to simply not contribute to oppression; but here, at West Point Grey United, we’ve said that’s not enough. We take the stance that “all it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing”. So we start our services with a land acknowledgement, to make our stance on reconciliation clear to anyone joining us. We display pride flags, so people can see that we explicitly support the rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people. 

There is, naturally, always more to do. We are paladins of hope; it’s an occupation, not a publicity stunt. So we have to work to keep improving things. Let’s look at another symbol for a moment: the bathroom sign.

The modern stick-figure “man” and “woman” bathroom signs were first standardised in the 1960s as part of a British Rail modernization program. While it’s becoming somewhat archaic in an age where women often if not typically wear pants, it is nonetheless what we’ve got. Standard. Simple to use.

But what about people like me, people who don’t identify with either “man” or “woman”? Most public spaces don’t have non-gendered washrooms, and even in those that do it was often put in as an afterthought. At my work, every floor has a “men’s washroom” and a “women’s washroom”, but the only “all gender” washroom is 11 floors down from my desk. Here, our all-gender washroom is located in the vestry, down a narrow corridor. In other places, the only all-gender option is combined with the accessible washroom and the baby change area. And I don’t really want to add to the daily frustrations of someone confined to a wheelchair. Or of a parent of a currently-quite-smelly infant.

While I do promote the installation of true gender-neutral washrooms in new buildings (good examples can be found in the UBC student Life building or the restaurant Anh and Chi), it would be fairly expensive to replace every washroom in every historic building or conservative new-build. Other solutions exist, though. For instance, the City of Vancouver often puts a “gender-diverse people welcome” addendum to their washroom signs. As a trans-feminine person, my preferred washroom is the Women’s. Seeing a sign like that gives me peace-of-mind to go in, do my business, and leave. Or touch-up my make-up. Especially in an age where many US politicians are trying police the genitals of any broad-shouldered woman entering a women’s washroom, it’s these little things that make a difference – and, if it’s an issue of privacy, perhaps we should consider closing the gaps in the doors instead of locking out trans- and non-binary people.

Now, we don’t need to walk into other churches, turn walking sticks to snakes, and demand they subscribe to our view of things. After all, our other reading says “Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.” But we should do what is in our power to protect God’s children, our siblings. 

West Point Grey United is a symbol of God’s love and hope in our neighbourhood. We’re the closest Affirming congregation to UBC. Our intercultural congregation experiences the Pentecost’s blessing of understanding each and every week. 

Our words and deeds further the work of the Holy Spirit. We will set an example for others; by walking in the footsteps of Christ, we will show that the cross should, indeed, symbolise “hope”. By donating to organisations who help those with less privilege. By voting for representatives who will further God’s call to care for one another. And, maybe, by modifying our bathroom signs.  This is a topic warranting discussion. Feel free to reach out to me if you’d like to discuss!