When Religion and Politics Meet, and It is Good!

When I was living in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC, I had a fleeting thought and idea that it would be good to run for an open position with the Chapel Hill-Carrboro School District. I was interested in running for the open position because I was, a) an educator with background in special education and music therapy, having gone to Princeton, Harvard, and Univ. of Chapel Hill-Carrboro, where I earned by Ph.D. in special education and religious education, and b) because I had children in the school system, and thought I had some new ideas and thoughts to share and contribute to the greater, common, good. And, c) I was an openly gay Presbyterian pastor, who thought my voice in the system would be a good thing, especially in support of LGBTQIA+ faculty, staff, administrators, and students. I even blogged about it on another blog site. That blog posting was picked up by the local newspaper, in which I, as an openly gay parent and pastor, was running for the position. I was soon discussing running with other open, out gay and lesbian politicians in NC, along with the Victory Fund, which supports openly LGBTQIA+ candidates. But I decided not to run because I had too many other obligations that were calling for my time, like being a parent.

Nevertheless, as a Reformed theologian and pastor, and an LGBTQIA+ advocate, I think that we, as Christians and openly LGBTQIA+ people of faith, have a place and called-for presence in the public square, including running for office, to contribute to the greater, common good. Yes, God some times calls us into modern politics, and that is a good thing.

Zoom ahead to this year, and I was delighted to read of the candidacy of the Rev. Jasmine Beach-Ferrara. Jasmine just so happens to be the age of my now-grown adult children, and grew up in Chapel Hill-Carrboro around my children. I knew Jasmine when she was "knee high to a grasshopper." I knew Jasmine through my colleagueship with her mom, Martha. Jasmine has gone to Harvard Divinity School, become a United Church of Christ minister, and is now a Buncombe (NC) County Commissioner, which is around the Asheville area. Earlier in her career, she worked for marriage equality in NC. Now she is doing great work there in speaking to the issues of drug treatment in that part of the world, early childhood education, racial equality, and help during the COVID 19 pandemic. She is also married to Meghann Burke, and they have three young children. 

Jasmine is bringing her theology of loving neighbor and her passion for the common good to fruition through her work as one of the Buncombe County Commissioners.

Most importantly, to me, she is running now for the NC US House of Rep. seat which is currently held by conservative and Trumpian firebrand, Madison Cawthorn. Rep. Cawthorn was one of the insurrectionist voices on Jan. 6, 2021. 

Jasmine is a great model of how politics, theology, and being openly out LGBTQIA+ person of faith is a great contribution to the building up and supporting the common good. 

Jasmine is my hero for this week.

Vote for Jasmine.

For more information, go to: http://www.jasmineforbuncombe.org.



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