Reading Letter To The Editor: We Value Your Humanity

READING, MA — The following letter to the editor was submitted by the Old South United Methodist Church.

To The Editor,

By now, many have heard of the account in the Reading Post of a Reading man hurling profane and homophobic slurs at a lesbian woman who, with her girlfriend, were walking their dog in the neighborhood they share with the man. The account further described the man striking the woman in the face after she questioned his behavior. A verbal and physical assault on a fellow human being for being gay. A hate crime.

We, the faith community of Old South United Methodist Church in the center of Reading, denounce the assault and the inhumanity behind it, but our message is to the victims of this act: We recognize your sacredness as people. We value your humanity. We embrace you as equal members of this community. And whether or not we share any faith beliefs with you -any- we see you, in your pain, in your right to live peacefully and authentically with your local and global neighbors, and as the presence of God’s remarkable and beautiful creation.

At Old South we strive to welcome all, experience God, transform lives, and to act justly. We are a Reconciling Congregation of the United Methodist Church, meaning that we are vocal in welcoming and loving all people, without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. You are welcomed and valued because you are, as, we believe are all people, created in God’s image.

We hope to add our voices to an outpouring of love for you from your neighbors near and far. We pray for the healing of your pain and we pray that the hate that caused your pain may be cured. And we’d love to meet your dog.

The Reconciling Committee of Old South United Methodist Church