Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

We love our binaries: the Haves versus the Have-Nots, the Left/Right divide, Human and Sub-human, Producers versus Parasites. Coupled with the list I wrote last week, this gives us a clear picture of how we, as the human species, still prefer division and isolation over genuine holistic unity. It’s all about who wins; it’s all about who holds the power.

Recently, someone criticized my writing, describing my work as the opinions of a man angry that ‘my side’ didn’t win the election. That’s a disappointingly, and I believe intentionally, shallow interpretation of what I’ve written in the past month.

It’s not about who wins or who loses. It’s not about seizing power and ensuring the wrong people don’t have it. Perhaps, for some, this is all some sick game. But for me, it’s about ensuring that everyone has the chance to express their full humanity without fear of targeted acts of dehumanization.

It’s not about winners and losers. To think that way is to guarantee that we are all losers, as that will ultimately lead to mutually assured ideological destruction. Nobody wins when we turn life and death into a game of chess.

So, here’s something I preached last Sunday that gives a glimpse of what I mean when I say that my writing isn’t about ‘winning’ but is about advocating for a future where everyone can thrive: We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, gay, confused, filthy rich, comfortable, or dirt poor. We extend a special welcome to wailing babies and excited toddlers. We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You’re welcome here if you’re just browsing, just woken up, or just got out of prison.

We don’t care if you’re more Christian than a bishop, or haven’t been to church since Christmas Eve 10 years ago. We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast.

We welcome exercise junkies, sports fanatics, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, and junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems, are down in the dumps, or don’t like ‘organized religion.’ (Some of us don’t like it either!) We offer a welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or are here because your loved one is here and wants to come to church. We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both, or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throat as kids, or simply wound up here on a Sunday because you had nothing better to do. We welcome those on a spiritual journey, seekers, doubters…and you.

This list isn’t meant to be the final determination of who can come to Saint Peter’s, nor is it an all-encompassing assessment of who holds value. It reflects my deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Oh, wait, I forgot I’m not supposed to use those words anymore. Be that as it may, I’m committed to these principles because I believe the only way we can thrive as a species is by allowing everyone to be themselves, flourishing in the light of God’s love —a love that looks at humanity and sees not our brokenness but our inherent goodness.

This doesn’t mean that I value everyone’s opinion equally. We can’t allow harmful language in spaces meant to be safe and secure for all. Everyone is free to believe what they want, but that doesn’t guarantee them a captive audience. As an example, people are free to believe in their hearts that transgender people are merely mentally ill, but they should not feel emboldened to harm others with these beliefs simply because they feel entitled to be heard. To my transgender friends, I see you, and I’m with you.

We will cease to exist as a species if we cannot accept that life always takes us in directions we never expect or imagine, and that people will look, pray, and mate in ways beyond our expectations or imagination. This might make us uncomfortable. That’s okay. You can feel what you need to feel. But unless we stop the scapegoating, cease the dehumanization, and break out of the binary of Winners versus Losers, we will all lose in the end. I don’t want that. Do you?

Chris Adams is the Rector at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Washington.