James (One of a group of eighteen Lutheran college students in New York)

JAMES

ELCA

NY

This is one of eighteen stoles made by an group of LGBT Lutheran college students in NY; sixteen are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and two belong to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), a far more conservative branch of American Lutheranism.  All eighteen stoles have been patterned identically out of rainbow colored felt; each has a first name in block letters on one panel, and either "ELCA" or "LCMS," and "NY" on the second panel.

The eighteen students represented by these stoles came to know each other by meeting at an ecumenical event, and they decided to keep meeting together informally.  The students were particularly concerned with providing support for one of their two new LCMS friends.  Although this young man was not "out" to anyone outside the group, he had been mercilessly abused by his family and his church on the mere suspicion that he was gay, and he feared for his life.  Almost all of the other students are "out," but instead of simply trying to push their friend out of the closet, out of his church or away from his family, they chose instead to "sit with him," to be patient, offer their friendship and support, share in Bible study, and provide a listening ear until the young man's fears subsided and he could "find his own way."

These stoles were given to me when I directed a display of stoles at the Tang Museum on the campus of Skidmore College in 2001.  One of the ELCA students drove to Saratoga Springs, NY to deliver the stoles and tell me their story.  As an act of solidarity with their one friend, all eighteen chose to put only their first names on the stoles.  The student who delivered the stoles talked with me for quite awhile, but he, too, chose to tell me only his first name and he left no contact information.

Although I don't know these students beyond the bit that they chose to share with me, I am touched by their story and impressed with the bond of faith and friendship they have formed.  When I asked how their friend was doing, the student smiled and said, "He's getting his spiritual life back."  And, he added, "He has changed our lives, too."

Martha Juillerat
Founder, Shower of Stoles Project
2006