We have so many amazing pastors, priests, reverends and theologians among our friends in European Forum of LGBTI+ Christian Groups. We would like to use their competence and experience by inviting them to share a short reflection.

So here is a short Christmas reflection from Juliette Marchet from France.

Last week I was scrolling on Instagram and found this picture saying: “Jesus had two dads and turned out just fine.” It made me laugh, but also reminded me of something many people have said before me: really, there's nothing queerer than Christianity. After all, we're talking about a faith in the birth of a child born under surrogacy in what we might today call a rainbow family: one mum and two dads. Or, if the comparison seems too anachronistic, we're still talking about a birth outside the societal and heteronormative norms of a traditional family model. We repeat it every year at Christmas: God did not choose to be born into a rich, powerful, heterosexual family where we could be sure that Jesus was indeed the son of his biological father.
The birth of Jesus in these circumstances is a miracle, just as, in my eyes, every LGBTQIA+ person who finds their place in the Christian community is a miracle too. As a pastor, my parishioners often complain that our churches are empty, and that young people are not joining. But in the inclusive parish where I volunteer, I see miracles every day: people asking for baptism, others rediscovering a peaceful relationship with God. The birth of Jesus clearly shows that what's important is not quantity (wealth, power, heteronormativity) but quality: a child has been born for us! Come, for he is the sign of God's unconditional love for us all.

Juliette Marchet