Greetings from Greyson
Hello Pilgrims!
On the day that I write this, I mark my 4th month of being a part of the Pilgrim community. As I shared with Lindy during our weekly meeting, I still feel a sense of having stars in my eyes- that feeling of being in the right place at the right time. That sense only gets deeper as I continue to get to know you all, your compassion and intentionality, your diverse perspectives and experiences, your collective commitment to sharing the work alongside one another. I thank God for having been called here.
As we look forward to a baptism this Sunday, let me share the thoughts of my theology professor, Rev. Dr. Willie Jennings, on the beauty of baptism. He shared that as we grow, the world writes over us all these narratives of our worth, capabilities, and possibilities, rooted in skewed biases and a litany of -isms. When we are lowered into the baptismal water, those narratives that marked our bodies and souls dissolve, and we rise to claim and be claimed in our true identity as a beloved child of our Creator.
(Certainly this is true regardless of baptism. Unbaptised people are also children of God. The ritual helps us be affirmed in, enveloped by, and grounded by this identity.)
I was baptised as a baby, just as baby Keaton will be this Sunday, so I don’t remember it and was not asked to make any commitments. But when the world tries to write narratives of my life and worth, which, as a transgender man, happens frequently and painfully, I remember my baptismal promise: I am a beloved child of God, deeply loved and accompanied through this life, and nothing can ever change that.
May Keaton’s baptism this Sunday be a blessing for Keaton, Keaton’s family and loved ones, and for all of us who will commit on Sunday to being participants in cultivating, protecting, and empowering Keaton’s growth. As we affirm Keaton’s identity as a beloved child of God, in whom God delights, may we each be reminded that this is an identity we share and be moved to remind each other as we collectively strive to embody love and goodness in this world.
Greyson