Imagine for a moment you’ve been estranged from your family due to something outside your control. You haven’t seen them for years and miss them deeply.

Suddenly, you receive an invitation to the annual family reunion, something you never imagined would happen. You get excited at the prospect of receiving the blessing of gathering in community. 

As you read through your invitation, however, you notice a series of conditions that you and only you would have to abide by to come: You have to arrive late and leave early. You don’t get the family t-shirt everyone else will be wearing. You don’t get to be in the family picture. You can’t partake of the food provided so you have to bring your own. You have to eat your meal in the backyard with the dog. 

Yes, the invitation is progress, but what do you make of all the conditions? Do they make you feel blessed?

If you feel the slightest bit of dis-ease in the above scenario, then you understand, on a small level, my feelings about the Vatican’s announcement that the Catholic Church can now bless same-sex couples. 

On the surface, it sounds incredibly inclusive, especially after the November announcement that the Catholic Church will allow