- I -
Stories we do not know.
But one story from 'Corrie' piqued my interest recently. Apparently Hayley Cropper, played by Julie Hesmondhalgh, will take her own life tonight, in order to end the suffering caused by her cancer. This story, already emotive and serious and echoing real people, is made more so - in our current culture - by the fact that Hayley is a male-to-female transsexual.
One thing that has struck me, as I've read a few things in preparation for this post, is that some good has come here. That, actually, Hesmondhalgh's 16-year tenure of the role has highlighted the humanity of folk that so many of us might shun. And this is important: whatever your views on transsexualism (or any related and linked phenomena), the fact that such people are human should not be news. It should not be radical. And so, in that sense, it is perhaps a good thing that the viewers of Corrie have been asked to think about people.
And this is key. Stories about people are the most interesting. And this is because people are interesting. And people are interesting because they are made in the Image of God, endowed with something that sets them apart from the rest of this world, the rest of this creation. And its why, actually, the Church should affirm and recognise the human dignity of transsexual people, people with gender-dysphoria, fellow human beings struggling through a broken world. Because the Image of God is not restricted to what we label as white, straight people. I've written more about this, so do follow the links at the bottom of the post.
- II -
Science and Theology not yet known.
The character in a soap, we might say, is just a fictional death. Yet we know the power of stories. Of good acting. Of emotion. Because these sort of things resonate with us in the way that a cold, hard leaflet outlining the process never could. Because whilst we are creatures of science, people who need to know and text and discover, we are also people of heart and passion and hope and fear. Assisted suicide - and euthanasia - are facets of the same thing as 'normal suicide'. I've written about that, 'Hope in the Darkness', because it is a huge topic, and the normalisaiton of one form has, I believe, worrying implications for how we might view mental health and suicide more generally.
From a theological perspective, I'm very wary of the two threads in the Corrie story. Science and medicine, in my understanding, have not given us clear data on gender dysphoria - see this paper for details, as an example - and we certainly have not done anything like enough theology, especially as evangelicals about the topic of transsexualism, and related things. This is why I am wary of speaking or blogging on the topic, because it is so new and so intimately linked with what it means to be human for so many Image-bearers.
Further, theologically, we are on dangerous grounds when we play God with our lives. I know this from my own experience of depression, and see it in the lives of those who are at the edge/end. Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia impinges on so many things: relationships, mental and physical health, politics, law, religion, education. And it forces us to think, I would suggest, about the role of death in our culture, and whether the death penalty is ok, if we think that there is one appropriate place to kill human beings.
- III -
Grace as metanarrative.
There is a word, 'metanarrative', that sounds big and threatening and scary. Simply put (and I expect my more educated friends to be furious with my butchering of it) this is the idea that there is a big story common to us all. I think that is absolutely true. Part of that which joins us together, that gives us a reference point, allows us to tell and share stories, are our bodies. I've explored that academically a little, and hope to futher. And thinking about the human body of course relates to medicine in general, and to both transsexualism and assisted suicide/euthanasia in particular.
Yet the body is not what I think is the story behind us all. For me, for many Christians, Grace is the story, the metanarrative, the big picture by which we make sense of everything. It is the thread that runs through scripture. From God clothing Adam and Eve at the Fall - he didn't have to. To God sparing Noah's family at the Flood - he didn't have to. To God redeeming and saving Israel from Egypt - he didn't have to. To God sending his Son to show us how to live - he didn't have to. For God dying on the Cross for us - he didn't have to. For God raising Jesus from the dead and raising us with him - he didn't have to. For sending the Holy Spirit to enable and empower us to live lives of love - he didn't have to.
This is the crux of Grace - God didn't have to do it. Didn't have to create us. Clothe us. Speak to us. Live with us. Die for us. Rise for us. Live in us. But he did. Because he loves those whom he has made. Yes, if we don't accept Grace, accept Jesus, then that big story doesn't make much sense. But I believe it does. That our bodies are gifts. A Grace. That our friendships, relationships, health, problems, wealth, lifestyle, existence is a Gift of Grace. And that is what, in part, I believe separates the Christian view of humanity from others. From lies. From things that are not good.
- IV -
Hype and Discernment
Because of this Grace, Christians are called to live differently. It is something I am quite good at getting wrong.
Because of this Grace, I think we need to be careful about headlines about 'copycat suicides'. The Guardian carried an interesting article on their website today about this. I think it is important that Christians be the people with calm views - fiercely loving, unflinchingly truthful, and trying to walk the tightrope of Grace that is made up of truth and love.
We need to be careful when commenting on topics that reach right into the heart of real people. There are people who struggle with the body they have been given, and the expectations of society or something else on who they are and who they should be. There are people who struggle - through illness, circumstance, or a myriad of reasons - with simple existence, who wish they didn't. Both of these kinds of people, Image-bearers and sinners all, need Grace. They should not be made a spectacle of, and conversations about each other's fate has to be done carefully, with discernment.
Walking the tightrope of Grace is hard. It is harder still when we realise that such a path is narrow, and yet true. It is a path that might enable us to make sense of debates about sex, marriage, death, life, abortion, the environment, benefits, and worship, prayer and leadership. Not giving in to, or encouraging, hype, but instead living in discernment.
- V -
Closing Thoughts
This is the end of a rambling post where I've tried to say what I want to say about some tricky things. Where I really want to emphasise the humanity of people who are often stigmatised and ostracised. Where I want to stress that just because I disagree with someone, does not mean I'm not trying to love them. Where I cannot make clear enough that I think Grace is vital, even as I do believe that God has spoken clearly on things. I hope that some of you reading this will leave a comment, continue the conversation, and help me understand more. Thank-you for reading.
___________________________
As intimated throughout this post, this links to a few things I've written before, so here they are.
I - Stories we don't know
II - Science and Theology not yet known
I will hopefully soon review two books that start to explore some of these themes, both by Ordained Anglicans, taking radically different styles, approaches, and methods.
III - Grace as metanarrative
__________________________
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I think it's a bit of a straw man argument to say that if we don't accommodate transsexualism/gender dysphoria in our thinking then we are assuming the image of God is restricted to straight, white people. I don't see what race has to do with the issue. Furthermore, the label of 'straight' does give away that there is a normativity and prima facie correctness to gender-identifying with one's biological sex. This is probably why we are now told we have to refer to it as 'cis'. Gender "dysphoria" for those who know Greek is another term that gives away that there is something wrong, or at least unusual, about the condition. It is also a minority of a minority who have this dysphoria, and for all that you might claim it forms part of some people's self-understanding, the fact that it does not (in the majority of cases in longitudinal studies) persist over most lifetimes suggests it is not an essential part of their make-up, but perhaps similar to a mental illness. Given Natural Law, as well as theological indications from Scripture that "male and female God created them", it seems theologically sounder to deal with trans/gender-dysphoria as an aberration; the exception that proves the rule of gender objectivity rather than the dynamite which explodes it.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous, thanks for the comment.
DeleteYou are right to point that out - which was partly what I was trying to say. My point is that race is, like many things, not the most important thing. I am trying, I think for the most part, to communicate with folk who have a fairly defined view of things, because I want people to rethink that.
Your observation regarding 'cis' is, I think, important. But I'd ask - who is doing the telling? Why/where have we conducted/agreed on the usage/meaning of the term? I'm not ignorant of what I am, if we are using classifications, but I'm wary of moving from one set (the 'male/female' thing you identify) to another.
I'd love to be pointed to your longitudinal studies - seriously, do you have links? I'm in agreement with what you are thinking, but what I'm trying to say is that the humanity of the person, regardless of the 'issues' we might see, is what is important.
Overall, yes, I think you are right that we see this as an 'aberration', and I think the proving is key - given that most seek to move from one gender to another, and often adopt/desire stereotypical traits/clothing/behaviour etc. One thing that interests me is the new frontier of 'pansexual', or certain forms of queering which try to get away from binary. As a Christian with an orthodox view, thats fascinating.
anyway, I rambled. I think I am broadly in agreement with your comment, but thanks again for commenting!
Tom