Spirituality and justice go hand in hand. This is spelled out repeatedly in the Scriptures. It is not enough for people to honour God with their lips if they do not honour their neighbours properly. Again and again we see that God has a special concern for the outcast. This is embodied in the life and teaching of Jesus. It is expressed in his death among the outcast, destroying the powers and principalities of violence, exclusion and fear. It is vindicated in his resurrection. So, from whatever gender base we come, any spirituality worth the name must have the search for God's justice and shalom at its core. This means that we are called to greater solidarity with transgender and gender non-conforming people who are frequently at the bottom of the heap. Thankfully an increasing number of transgender and gender nonconforming people are visible and successful in many walks of life. Yet the majority still face huge hurdles of finance, employment, health, access, and other social necessities, particularly in poorer places in our world. Often this can lead to severe health issues and thoughts or attempts of suicide. Where trans people live in places of poverty or repression the situation can be horrendous. How therefore will we respond more fully?
Here are just some of the real issues of our day...