Thank you for posting this. It's nice to have my head pulled out of the trivia, relatively speaking, of our local disputes to be reminded of the real issues.
BB. After watching the video I was somewhat conflicted. I think Archbishop Welby is definitely an Evangelical Christian. He is of good humor and personable. I thought the interview was rather softball without addressing the major split in Anglicanism. Secondly, his specialization in and understanding of reconciliation as "Good disagreement" is not my understanding of what reconciliation means.
I think you raise a good point - he does seem to use the word "reconciliation" when perhaps "peacemaking" would be more helpful.
I think he is describing peacemaking. For example, in my family we have lots of opinions about things that matter and we work on having "good disagreement." He may see the larger church like a family.
Has he personally experienced the Episcopal Church schism yet - that is not yet clear. He knows about it, has heard very clearly what has happened and why it was a devastating split in 2003, but has he experienced the pain and suffering that has come from the schism? Remorse often precedes repentance for us all - do we mourn the schism ourselves? Do pray for reconciliation? How do we take steps toward it - even in our own families?
I do think it's a journey for him to discover in his own experience the trauma of this schism. We can tell him our personal stories, but at the same time - don't we want to be healed? Do we recognize our own need for repentance? Do we? Do we really?
To stand clearly on biblical teaching, and yet at the same time love our neighbor, love our enemy deeply is very hard. It is very difficult for me to imagine those who have suffered in this schism to find reconciliation in this generation. The schism is profound and deep. But I wonder, is not the love of Christ even deeper, wider, higher than we can possibly imagine?
Such love allows us to stand for the truth that sets us free, but it also costs us deeply, to weep unashamedly for those with whom we once called our friends.
3 comments:
Thank you for posting this. It's nice to have my head pulled out of the trivia, relatively speaking, of our local disputes to be reminded of the real issues.
BB.
After watching the video I was somewhat conflicted. I think Archbishop Welby is definitely an Evangelical Christian. He is of good humor and personable. I thought the interview was rather softball without addressing the major split in Anglicanism. Secondly, his specialization in and understanding of reconciliation as "Good disagreement" is not my understanding of what reconciliation means.
I think you raise a good point - he does seem to use the word "reconciliation" when perhaps "peacemaking" would be more helpful.
I think he is describing peacemaking. For example, in my family we have lots of opinions about things that matter and we work on having "good disagreement." He may see the larger church like a family.
Has he personally experienced the Episcopal Church schism yet - that is not yet clear. He knows about it, has heard very clearly what has happened and why it was a devastating split in 2003, but has he experienced the pain and suffering that has come from the schism? Remorse often precedes repentance for us all - do we mourn the schism ourselves? Do pray for reconciliation? How do we take steps toward it - even in our own families?
I do think it's a journey for him to discover in his own experience the trauma of this schism. We can tell him our personal stories, but at the same time - don't we want to be healed? Do we recognize our own need for repentance? Do we? Do we really?
To stand clearly on biblical teaching, and yet at the same time love our neighbor, love our enemy deeply is very hard. It is very difficult for me to imagine those who have suffered in this schism to find reconciliation in this generation. The schism is profound and deep. But I wonder, is not the love of Christ even deeper, wider, higher than we can possibly imagine?
Such love allows us to stand for the truth that sets us free, but it also costs us deeply, to weep unashamedly for those with whom we once called our friends.
bb
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