by Kelly Pelton (written 25 Feb 2021)

The bathroom in the basement of Lipscomb University
was kindly designated for colored use, no more outdoor
makeshift outhouses at this college in Nashville, Tennessee
where bathrooms for blacks were moved inside (whites were on the main floor).

The Christians wanted to treat their black brothers and sisters well,
and the indoor bathroom was a step in the right direction;
they could not see how far short of perfect love's standard they fell
or they would have discarded such rules for full integration.

Similarly, the churches that now allow women to pray
or read scripture or give a testimony or be deacons
are bringing them into worship, an orchestrated role play
that's not exactly helping the church people be beacons

of truth and love in a healthier family dynamic.
It's progress, bringing us in from the outside to be under-
foot, participating from beneath you, the panoramic
scope of God's love obscured as His children are left to wonder

why the inequity in spiritual roles; biology
didn't limit New Testament believers as did the norms
of their time. Let's implement Spirit-led methodology,
embracing gender inclusivity so the church informs

the world of God's tender and loving impartiality,
the way He speaks through all of His children both female and male.
Let's not relegate any to the basement; we're family
whose function as equals will cause worldly standards to seem stale.