The meeting was attended mostly by men of a certain age — some perhaps a bit more certain than others — and accordingly our topic sparked passionate engagement.

Since we're students of Christian Science we sought to bring healing and meaning into an area blighted by denial and suffering.

To get the juices flowing one member summarized the findings of a recent study "Outing Age: Public Policy Issues Affecting Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Elders", compiled by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Gay seniors encounter the usual problems of aging in the areas of financial well-being, healthcare and engaging activity. These problems are compounded for us by institutional heterosexism and ageism within our own community. Gay people do not have survivor benefits from social security or pensions. They have trouble finding supportive or knowledgeable healthcare providers (e. g., Christian Science practitioners). And GLBT groups seldom give attention or special breaks to elders while the community, focused on youthful beauty, shuns the aging.

There are strategies emerging to address the problems: for instance, organizations like Senior Action in a Gay Environment (SAGE ) in New York and Gay and Lesbian Outreach to Elders in San Francisco. Also Gay retirement communities are up and running in Florida and California.

We were by now a touch overwhelmed by the problems but could begin to discern two different approaches to handling them. One would be to treat them from within the context or framework of the problems — i.e., mortal existence; the other was to work on breaking the dream of such bogus existence and be of assistance from a new standpoint. We opted basically for the latter in the limited time we had but noted that Mary Baker Eddy manages to weave back and forth between the two views in pages 244 to 248 of Science and Health where the belief in age is handled fully.

On the principle that every material belief hints at an underlying spiritual fact (see Miscellaneous Writings, p. 60:28-3), one member said we should seek just what it is that aging is trying in its inarticulate way to convey in the way of spiritual wholeness. In so doing he recommended we look at the model presented by relationships in a primitive community. There, elders have specific duties. They cannot retreat into mindless frivolity. In return for the physical support they receive from the younger members of the village who hunt and gather, the elders undertake to manage the resources (e. g., the grain stores and the water hole) for the common good. They keep the history and genealogies of the tribe alive; and they tell the stories and effect the trance healings. Gay people in the tribe often become its shamans, deeply honored members of the community, again having scant time for empty pursuits.

Our member pointed out that while one might see a number of similarities between the functioning of the primitive village and what goes on in our own so called more advanced society, there appeared to be one very significant difference. We do not honor elders and Gay people nor require they fulfill their mission. They are left to pretend they are just like everyone else and perhaps feel more acutely than others the pull towards useless self-indulgence.

As we brought Science to bear on our subject we could see, if dimly, that we needed to stretch the limits of human belief; to feel deep within our own being what role or roles we should play in the unfolding bliss of existence. The tendency in elders is to retire from both work and love. Is this legitimate? We read some quotes from Mrs. Eddy on retirement (see Miscellaneous Writings, pp. 136: 1-4 and 316: 17-24, as well as The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany, p. 250: 28-3). Her sense of retirement is to go on to larger and higher duties; to leave behind the minutiae of everyday existence and take higher stances in Science. Can any student of Christian Science seriously seek mere coddling in the face of such an example? The retirement of such a person should be on to higher work and a more expanded view of love.

One member mentioned how as elders we could listen to and cherish the experiences of the young. This is certainly a valued occupation and a guidance to the society at large. And it can be expanded beyond the merely personal to a prayerful, impersonal appreciation of what it is that the young — or any and everyone for that matter — is doing in the culture. This is work far beyond what could be done in an office or theatrical setting where deadlines and entertainment have to take top billing, smothering the spiritual embrace.

The notion of a "seasoned Scientist"came up. This is a term used for those in the movement who have years of experience with Christian Science. It is thought that they are better at healing. Maybe so, maybe not. It would depend on how much Experience — i.e., how at-one they are right now with and as God. All the human beliefs about demonstrations in the past are of limited value in effecting present demonstration. And age is not really an issue. Our readings above include the incident where Jesus, age 12, is with the elders in the temple. Our group has looked at the subject of age twice in the past (see topics [#topic=20000601#] and [#topic=19991028#]).

We were running out of time but felt the bottom line in what we could contribute in understanding and bringing healing into the Gay Senior complex is to see age, with all its problems, glories and possibilities, as basically a rich dream needing the deconstruction that only Christian Science affords.

A member had time to give a brief description of a recent healing relating to our subject. Members of his family were adulating him for his spryness in spite of age. He got caught up in a personal sense of accomplishment in this regard and injured himself badly. His recovery occurred as he let go of personal sense and found himself valuing the ageless being of everyone, whatever the appearances.

A relative newcomer to the meeting asked about the history of the group. As we had run out of time and needed a topic for next week, we thought this would be a good one. So it'll be History: personal, group, community, national and so on.