Semele
June 13th, 2001, 11:19 PM
This just came from the group I told you all about earlier this week. They are a nonviolent group that protests Spiritual violence against Homosexuals and transgendered folks.
Dear Soulforce Friends,
It is Wednesday, June 13, 5:30 p.m. Our vigiling is over....our act of
civil disobedience is over...and we have had the most incredible experience
since the beginning of Soulforce. I apologize for not writing last night.
The day was just too long, too overwhelming and sleep at 1 a.m. became an
important priority to prepare myself for today.
I know I say this often but it is difficult to describe such a spiritual
experience in words...but I will do my best. We spent our day yesterday
participating in prayer vigils outside the superdome where the Southern
Baptists were meeting. It took some negotiations with the city, state and
convention police and security but we finally were able to come to an
agreement and we preceded to engage ourselves in silent as well as teaching
vigils. While some of us stood in silence others of us passed out
invitations to our Jazz Funeral and hospitality room. We were inviting
Southern Baptists to come to our hospitality room and visit us. A few even
took advantage of that opportunity. The invitation also stated our case
against the Southern Baptists teachings and listed the demands we wanted.
We passed out over 5000 invitations! There was a particular concourse that
was a very high traffic area during breaks in the schedule for the Baptists
and it turned into a wonderful opportunity to visit with many Baptists
messengers. I, myself, was engaged in conversation with a Baptist minister
from North Carolina when he stopped talking, looked at me with tears in his
eyes and asked if we could pray together. Of course I said yes and he began
to pray. In his prayer he said, "God, I have been convicted to go home and
research the subject of homosexuality." Right then I knew we had already
succeeded in our mission. Another Baptist messenger was watching the
Soulforce activities and said to one of our delegates, "There are less than
10,000 people attending the Baptist Convention (less than they were
expecting - they were expecting 12,000)and it is boring. You all (meaning
Soulforce) are the most exciting thing going on here." There is no doubt in
my mind that today there were nearly 10,000 Southern Baptists talking about
Soulforce and talking about homosexuality.
At 11 a.m. today we stepped into the streets of New Orleans with police
escort, a brass band, a casket filled with letters and notes describing
examples of lives who have suffered and even died as a result of Southern
Baptist anti-gay teachings, a beautiful funeral spray with a pink triangle
in the middle, and nearly 100 people waving white handkerchiefs, again with
the names of people who have been hurt by Southern Baptists teachings. It
was the most powerful moving experiences of Soulforce yet. The eyes of the
convention were upon us. We marched in the streets up to the Superdome,
turned and walked in front of the entrance. At our press conference several
of us shared messages to the Southern Baptists and to our sisters and
brothers. We then announced that we were taking the coffin, filled with our
letters and notes, into the superdome and placing at the podium in front of
the convention center. We were stopped by the police and were not allowed
to enter. We asked several times to be allowed to enter the convention
center and carry our message to the Baptists. We were refused. We refused
to leave and 34 of us were arrested for trespassing. However, once we were
transported to the place to be processed the city attorney made a decision
to drop the charges. This is a first for Soulforce! New Orleans has been
an incredible place to do justice work.
Tonight a local Soulforce delegate has invited all of us to he and his
partner's home for a jambalaya dinner - good food and good fellowship. A
perfect way to end an incredible soulforce journey.
I described the events of the past two days but little about the effects of
these activities for all of us spiritually. Again, it is so difficult to
put into words what it is like to stand up for who you are and what you
believe. We have made such an incredible impact on this Southern Baptist
Convention. To know that we have been dialoguing with Baptists for two
days, that we have gotten their attention enough to be talking among
themselves is so incredible. We have finally begun with the Baptists.
There is a group of people that have already volunteered to begin planning
for next years' Baptist Convention which will be held in St. Louis. We will
not go away! We will continue until the spiritual violence stops.
I must stop for now in order to leave for our special dinner. I will plan
to share more about this experience at the next Soulforce In Oklahoma -
Tulsa meeting on Monday, June 18th. I will invite the other three delegates
from Oklahoma to come and share their experiences in New Orleans as well.
Pictures will be available.
Once again, I thank all of you for your prayers, your support and your
encouragement.
In love and peace,
Karen Weldin
Soulforce
PS Pictures are up on the website at www.soulforce.org
Dear Soulforce Friends,
It is Wednesday, June 13, 5:30 p.m. Our vigiling is over....our act of
civil disobedience is over...and we have had the most incredible experience
since the beginning of Soulforce. I apologize for not writing last night.
The day was just too long, too overwhelming and sleep at 1 a.m. became an
important priority to prepare myself for today.
I know I say this often but it is difficult to describe such a spiritual
experience in words...but I will do my best. We spent our day yesterday
participating in prayer vigils outside the superdome where the Southern
Baptists were meeting. It took some negotiations with the city, state and
convention police and security but we finally were able to come to an
agreement and we preceded to engage ourselves in silent as well as teaching
vigils. While some of us stood in silence others of us passed out
invitations to our Jazz Funeral and hospitality room. We were inviting
Southern Baptists to come to our hospitality room and visit us. A few even
took advantage of that opportunity. The invitation also stated our case
against the Southern Baptists teachings and listed the demands we wanted.
We passed out over 5000 invitations! There was a particular concourse that
was a very high traffic area during breaks in the schedule for the Baptists
and it turned into a wonderful opportunity to visit with many Baptists
messengers. I, myself, was engaged in conversation with a Baptist minister
from North Carolina when he stopped talking, looked at me with tears in his
eyes and asked if we could pray together. Of course I said yes and he began
to pray. In his prayer he said, "God, I have been convicted to go home and
research the subject of homosexuality." Right then I knew we had already
succeeded in our mission. Another Baptist messenger was watching the
Soulforce activities and said to one of our delegates, "There are less than
10,000 people attending the Baptist Convention (less than they were
expecting - they were expecting 12,000)and it is boring. You all (meaning
Soulforce) are the most exciting thing going on here." There is no doubt in
my mind that today there were nearly 10,000 Southern Baptists talking about
Soulforce and talking about homosexuality.
At 11 a.m. today we stepped into the streets of New Orleans with police
escort, a brass band, a casket filled with letters and notes describing
examples of lives who have suffered and even died as a result of Southern
Baptist anti-gay teachings, a beautiful funeral spray with a pink triangle
in the middle, and nearly 100 people waving white handkerchiefs, again with
the names of people who have been hurt by Southern Baptists teachings. It
was the most powerful moving experiences of Soulforce yet. The eyes of the
convention were upon us. We marched in the streets up to the Superdome,
turned and walked in front of the entrance. At our press conference several
of us shared messages to the Southern Baptists and to our sisters and
brothers. We then announced that we were taking the coffin, filled with our
letters and notes, into the superdome and placing at the podium in front of
the convention center. We were stopped by the police and were not allowed
to enter. We asked several times to be allowed to enter the convention
center and carry our message to the Baptists. We were refused. We refused
to leave and 34 of us were arrested for trespassing. However, once we were
transported to the place to be processed the city attorney made a decision
to drop the charges. This is a first for Soulforce! New Orleans has been
an incredible place to do justice work.
Tonight a local Soulforce delegate has invited all of us to he and his
partner's home for a jambalaya dinner - good food and good fellowship. A
perfect way to end an incredible soulforce journey.
I described the events of the past two days but little about the effects of
these activities for all of us spiritually. Again, it is so difficult to
put into words what it is like to stand up for who you are and what you
believe. We have made such an incredible impact on this Southern Baptist
Convention. To know that we have been dialoguing with Baptists for two
days, that we have gotten their attention enough to be talking among
themselves is so incredible. We have finally begun with the Baptists.
There is a group of people that have already volunteered to begin planning
for next years' Baptist Convention which will be held in St. Louis. We will
not go away! We will continue until the spiritual violence stops.
I must stop for now in order to leave for our special dinner. I will plan
to share more about this experience at the next Soulforce In Oklahoma -
Tulsa meeting on Monday, June 18th. I will invite the other three delegates
from Oklahoma to come and share their experiences in New Orleans as well.
Pictures will be available.
Once again, I thank all of you for your prayers, your support and your
encouragement.
In love and peace,
Karen Weldin
Soulforce
PS Pictures are up on the website at www.soulforce.org