And The Drag Queen Said, “Amen”!
Throughout modern history, LGBTQ people have experienced the use of Christianity and its precepts, as a bludgeon with which to beat us over the head. Countless relationships with LGBTQ people and their Churches have been fractured this way. Indeed, even the various denominations themselves have actually split over inclusion of LGBTQ parishioners or, (gasp!) ordinating gay clergy. Boldly entering this minefield of eternal controversy, determined to address this state of affairs, and more importantly, restore LGBTQ people to their relationships with the Lord, is, of all people, a drag queen. That’s the irrepressible Jeza Belle, a New York City drag performer, comedian, writer, and award-winning filmmaker. Jeza has written a new book that has already given the religious right fits of apoplexy. Yet, Jeza’s Jesus Juice: A Drag Queen’s Christian Devotional might very well be just the tonic both recovering LGBTQ Christians (and the Churches that have pushed them away) need right now.
Jeza’s tome is a well-researched, funny, but edifying conversation about rediscovering the faith, even if some of the (straight) faithful find us abominable. In the book’s opening, Jeza takes care to remind the reader that “the word of God transcends sexuality, gender, race, creed, and any number of other things that separate us on this earthly plane”. Building from that truism, Jeza sets about reuniting her audience with their Christian faith. Skillfully citing relevant Scripture throughout her thesis, Jeza is at times tongue-in-cheek, at times matter-of-fact, but always kind and gentle in her delivery.
Although Jesus is himself silent throughout the New Testament on homosexuality, nevertheless the various iterations of the Church have weaponized homophobia for centuries. In Jeza’s Jesus juice, however, there’s a lot of healing. In one particularly cathartic passage, Jeza notes, “Throughout the Bible, good people of faith sang, danced, and drank wine. God is not an uptight overlord. I believe he wants us to be filled with joy and laughter, so long as ultimately, we remember that he is the most important thing in our lives and that all of our sins are forgiven and washed away with the acceptance of Christ, not at our own hands.” In returning to our walk with God, Jeza points out, rediscovery should be a blessing in itself.
Jeza frames her chapters with a short prayer, and reflective exercises on how to apply Jesus’ teachings to everyday situations. These are meant to get the reader thinking about self-examination, through the lens of Scripture and devotional meditation. Jeza cleverly mixes self-deprecating humor, applying examples of her own life, with sober exposition of Christian principles, and the result is an eminently readable discussion of faith and reconciliation. Without being overly preachy — a challenge for any religious epistle — Jeza deftly handles faith-based methods for dealing with life’s crises and trials, as well as striving to get closer to God.
Jeza’s Jesus Juice is a fresh, compassionate, engaging treatise on a very fraught subject, presented in a thought-provoking manner. You can get your copy on Amazon, or anywhere fine books are sold. The drag queen says, “Amen”.
