Part of my mission is to elevate good work that matters. There are many behind-the-scenes ordinary heroes doing the good work of building and rebuilding community across deep divides and stark differences.
One such program on the front lines is Oriented to Love, a program of Christians for Social Action. Oriented to Love (OTL) helps faith communities connect across difference in sexual orientation, gender identity and theological conviction; pursuing unity that is deeper
than agreement.
What a powerful mission statement, and one that goes to addressing a source of deep divide in churches today! I had the opportunity to participate in an OTL weekend dialogue many years ago, and it was a transformative experience and an opportunity to engage at a heart-level with people who share a common faith and yet different theologies and different sexual and gender identities.
As someone who works with individuals and communities to find tools for dialogue and community building, OTL has been a go-to recommendation for me. I have referred friends and colleagues to OTL and recommended OTL to churches and organizations looking to have deeper and healthier dialogue around these deep-seated parts of our identity.
I had the opportunity recently to interview Kristyn Komarnicki, Director of the Oriented to Love program, as a way to introduce OTL to a broader audience. Here is a brief ten-minute conversation that explores what OTL is, why this work is important, and how you can get involved.