REV. ROBINSON Keep focus on Christ, not on sexuality

What an awesome thing to be called to the office of bishop -- to hear God's voice, beckoning me to do this difficult thing. Of course, the difficult thing is not dealing with all the fallout that will come from being the first openly gay person to be elected bishop, but to be a holy man of God, a wholesome example to the flock and successor to the apostles.
The amazing thing about the election here in New Hampshire was the spirit of the clergy and laity and the Spirit that enlivened us all.
More than 700 Episcopalians turned out to hear from the four nominees for bishop. Countless meetings and discussions ensued, trying to discern the will of God for the Diocese of New Hampshire, and who might be best to lead the diocese in being faithful to that call. And then, the day of the election, with the Holy Spirit so palpable you could almost touch it. The thunderous eruption of applause, whistling and cheering at the announcement of the results was the sound of nearly 18 months of discernment coming to fruition in the expression of a common mind.
The people of the Diocese of New Hampshire have known me for 28 years, 17 of them as assistant to the bishop. They have known me married, single, and faithfully partnered. I have been in their congregations to preach the good news from their pulpits, to talk about faith with their youth groups, to assist in dealing with conflict, and to help vestries plan for the future of their congregations.
Only once or twice, and only at their request, have I ever talked about being a gay man.
Passion for Gospel
The people of the diocese know that I have only one agenda: the saving good news of Jesus Christ. They know that my passion is for our becoming the community of faith that God would have us be. They know that I have experienced the living God in my own life and long to tell others about that experience.
They know that I want the church to be concerned with acts of mercy and with working for justice.
I know that my election has caused pain and confusion to some. I want no one to leave our beloved church because of this. I think that would break God's heart. And it is so unnecessary.
One of the great gifts of the Anglican Communion is the ability to find our unity in our love for and service to Jesus Christ and in coming around the Lord's table to share in his body and blood. We can disagree about all kinds of things -- abortion, war and peace, homosexuality -- and still find our unity in our love of Jesus, whom we have come to know in our lives. Some day we're all going to be in heaven together, and we will all get along there -- because God will have it no other way -- so we might as well practice getting along while we're still here on earth. Wouldn't that gladden Jesus' heart?
Drawing in members
Everyone seems to be focusing on how many people may leave the Episcopal Church over my selection. I want to focus on how many people may come to the church because of this. Only hours after I was interviewed this week on the "Today" show, priests around the country were reporting people showing up at the doors of their churches, saying, "Is this the church that that guy from New Hampshire belongs to? I want to belong here, too." People who have never gone to church, people who are estranged from and feel excluded from their church, people who never felt "good enough" to be in church. Isn't that what we want to be about?
If we are serious about "What would Jesus do?" then we will do what Jesus did: reach out to the marginalized, the oppressed, the poor, the outcasts, and bring them to the center of the church and God's love. Wouldn't Jesus want us to proclaim that no one is outside the Father's love? Wouldn't Jesus want us to live as if God loves all of us beyond our wildest imagining?
If my service as bishop can bring the good news of Jesus Christ to even one of those "outcasts," if I can help just one broken person know God's love, then I will have lived up to my calling and gladdened the heart of God.
XThe Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson, 56, of the Diocese of New Hampshire, is the first openly gay Episcopalian clergy member to be elected bishop. He wrote this for The Dallas Morning News.