Written by Max Niedzwiecki, PhD, of EMM’s Rainbow Initiative, and member of The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on World Mission.

“Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15-16). That’s not a call to claiming sainthood. It summons all Christians not to be better than anyone else, and certainly not to appear better than we are. It summons us all to be honest about what we hope.

So wrote Louie Crew Clay in “Joy Anyway,” the introduction to his collection of prose and poetry titled “Letters from Samaria.” Louie was a pioneer for queer welcome in The Episcopal Church. Hope and joy were cornerstones of his prophetic, fabulous, and often grindingly difficult ministry.

What do we have to be joyful about? How can we be hopeful, when so many in government and society deny the God-given dignity of people who are transgender, queer, or searching for safety through migration?

The answers to those questions haven’t changed over the past 2,000 years: God loves us and wants us to be happy; we have communion in Christ; our hope is in the grace that can move us toward perfection. Speaking specifically about refugees, Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe recently said, “As Christians, we must be guided not by political vagaries, but by the sure and certain knowledge that the kingdom of God is revealed to us in the struggles of those on the margins. Jesus tells us to care for the poor and vulnerable as we would care for him.” In the midst of struggle, pain, and bewilderment, we can also have joy and hope.

Since 2023, Episcopal Migration Ministries and its Rainbow Initiative partners throughout the U.S. and Europe have borne witness to the joy, hope, and dignity of LGBTQ+ people who have crossed borders seeking safety. Our participation in Pride events has shown hundreds of thousands of people that we—as individuals, as congregations, and as The Episcopal Church—stand in solidarity with all people who need to flee their homelands, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer. Brief reports about Pride are available on EMM’s website.

Join us! Here’s how:

  • Show solidarity with LGBTQ+ immigrants in your Pride celebrations.
  • Find resources for learning, worship, and witness on the Rainbow Initiative webpage.
  • Contact [email protected] for brainstorming and personalized help.
  • Learn about becoming a Rainbow Initiative partner congregation or organization here.