The Big Issues

A very interesting development in the dust-up with the Sudanese Archbishop calling for Gene Robinson’s resignation a couple of days ago. Rather than overreacting and making some public statement in response, many of us have engaged our Sudanese colleagues in Bible Study or indaba groups in conversation, and those of us who have companion diocese relations have sought out opposite numbers for deeper reflection.

Much misunderstanding has been cleared up, much deeper appreciation of one another’s contexts and perspectives. Do we now all agree? Nope. Is there a greater chance that we can learn to “give space” to one another and stay at the table for the sake of common mission and the common good? I think so. There’s still a week to go and lots can happen, but — at the halfway point — my sense is that the Lambeth Conference is unfolding just as planned. 

Those who want us to move along and address “the big issues” are surely deluded if they think our days this week talking about evangelism, social justice, and the environment were not really already addressing “the big issues” this church needs to be dealing with. 

The hundreds of signs we carried through the streets of London on Thursday dealing with poverty compared to the two signs I saw decrying homosexuality pretty accurately reflect the importance of the two issues…in God’s sight and ours.