Keeping the faith for church to reconcile

May 13, 2009 12:36 am

AND SO BEGINS another round of what some see as little more than battling bishops and multimillion-dollar lawsuits, all in the name of the church.

I'm referring to this summer's General Convention of the Episcopal Church, the once-every-three-years gathering of thousands of church members from Ecuador to Alaska.

For the fourth time, I will don my hat as editor of Center Aisle, the daily newspaper published during the convention by the Diocese of Virginia.

This year, the 10-day-long convention will be held in an Anaheim, Calif., convention center across the street from Disneyland. But judging by my experience, I'll have no time to spend with Mickey Mouse, Goofy and the rest of the gang (though the temptation to make symbolic use of those characters may be irresistible).

Ever since 2003, when Gene Robinson's consecration as the first openly gay bishop of the church was affirmed, the media have made a beeline to this convention, despite the fact that it spends a good portion of its time delving into arcane matters of church governance.

So why am I still an optimist when the doomsayers are once again predicting that the Episcopal Church and the Worldwide Anglican Communion are about to come apart at the seams over issues of human sexuality?

Call me naive, but I see another opportunity in Anaheim for our church to be a positive witness to the world--a model of how passionate believers can champion their causes and still remain committed to the foundational beliefs that unite them.

That's another way of saying that the Episcopal Church, and other religious bodies, need to be able to discuss divisive issues in ways that go beyond the ol' winners-and-losers model.

There's little chance that a bolt of lightning will convince liberals and conservatives that their differences have evaporated. But with patience and humility, we as a church can still learn a lot from each other--if we stay at the common table.

There are some who say we've been listening too long, that's it's time for up-or-down votes on whether the Episcopal Church should allow more gay bishops or should officially bless same-sex relationships.

I understand the frustration. But the spiritual journey we and other churches have embarked on is full of nuances and discoveries not yet made.

The head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, was recently asked by an antsy conservative when the "endless" process of listening to one another will end and when decisions will finally be made.

The archbishop referred to the Gospel in noting that Jesus refused to set "a possible cutoff point" when Peter asked him how many times he must forgive a person who sins against him.

And then the archbishop added: "Reconciliation among Christians at the level that matters takes as long as it takes, I'm afraid, which is no joy to me or others in positions of authority, but it does."

In an attention-deficit world full of demands for quick decisions, the archbishop's words carry great wisdom.

Ed Jones: 540/374-5401
Email: edjones@freelancestar.com