“If the church could be seen as endlessly renewing itself in every possible way yet remaining as good as ever, not losing its fundamental identity and divine sense of mission along the way, what a power it would be!”[1]

 

“So far the Church has been working on the pimples of the surface rather than getting into the very bloodstream to solve problems”[2]

 

I reread these two quotes by my godfather, the Reverend C. Russell Elliott, the day after I returned from the 142^nd session of the Diocesan Synod of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.  During this Synod we discussed the following resolution:

 

Be it resolved that this Synod of the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island meeting in its 142nd Session affirms and recommits its recognition that marriage is the union of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others and that any union other than this is contrary to God’s Word.

 

The bulk of this particular Synod was not all that exciting to be honest.  It was filled with a plethora of procedural motions and far too many presentations.  I, as I am wont to do, spent my time with the youth delegates who usually congregate at a corner of the room.  They gather for mutual support and welcome some of us older folk to join them.  I spend my time with them to recharge my battery, to reenergize myself by basking in their presence and in their barely contained joy.  The group came well prepared this particular year.  They brought a vinyl table cloth, fresh cut flowers, snacks and play doh![3]

 

The youth delegates were all extremely engaged in the process of Synod.  Some of them may not have looked like they were but I knew better.  When the more complex procedural machinations of Synod arose they turned to me for explanation.  When the motions just could not be understood and what Synod was doing to them I offered what I thought was going on.  For example when Synod was discussing an amendment, to an amendment, to a motion there was much explaining going on in hushed tones so as not to disturb the other nearby tables.

 

Friday after supper the motion came to the floor.  I had thought that we were not ready to discuss it and was going to make a motion to table this motion until such time as the General Synod no longer affirmed this.  Someone beat me to the microphone to make a similar motion which was narrowly defeated (by 5 votes).  The youth delegates I sat with all, to a person voted against the motion to table.  When I told them that a motion to table meant that we would postpone the debate for another two years they said, “Why?  Why not just talk about it now?”  The youth delegates saw the wisdom that would come by actually discussing this issue right there, right then.  The youth delegates carried the motion.  Thus Synod was bound to have the discussion.

 

Our Diocesan reminded us of our duty as Christians as we began this discussion and then it started.  I was expecting what I had witnessed in previous Synods where the topic of human sexuality has arisen.  I was expecting it to be loud, unruly, and discourteous, filled with cat-calls and boos.  And I could not have been more wrong.  The debate that ensued was calm, rational, passionate (on both sides) and filled with courageous voices.

 

Many people spoke from their personal experience of homosexuality; some were so brave as to tell the whole world that they were gay or lesbian or bisexual.  One youth delegate did just this during the debate.  She came to the microphone terrified but driven to speak (as I type this my skin still tingles with the power of her simple, open and honest profession – for lack of a better word).  This brave young woman told all of Synod what it has cost her to be openly bisexual.  Her family, her former friends, her church all judged her not for who she is but for what she is.

 

In her simple statements I saw that what the church has been doing to homosexual people is treating them as “things” as objects as less than human.  I have learned that “good” theology is that which allows humans to be fully human and lets God be fully God.[4]  The church for far too long has objectified those people whom we should be loving most.  The church, in its wisdom, has not allowed humans to be fully human when members cease fitting the mould that had been created so long ago.

 

This brave young woman came to the microphone terrified and yet spoke to a crowd filled with strangers.  She showed her fear in some of the words she chose, “Perhaps you will hate me… perhaps you will boo me...” but she overcame that fear and spoke of her personal story and she instantly became my hero.

 

She left the microphone weeping and a small group of priests, me included, followed her out of the floor of Synod to help her compose herself.  When she had cleaned herself up a bit I told her, “You are a brave young woman and are my hero.  Your witness moved me and I just want to thank you for what you have just done.  Now please, for the love of God, go back onto that floor and vote!”

 

This young woman had kept herself apart from the group I sat with until she returned to the floor of Synod.  When she returned the group of youth delegates enfolded her into their ranks and instantly accepted her into their little community.  They knew what courage she just showed and they openly loved her for it.

 

Sometimes in the history of the church it takes brave men and women who are willing to stand up and speak the truth – the plain, simple, honest truth – and in those moments the church takes another step toward fulfilling its mission in this world.  My new friend, I believe, is just such a brave woman and she moved me toward seeing a truth that I had not seen before.

 

As we strive to be “true” to the word of God sometimes we do so at the cost of objectifying other humans.  This, I don’t think, is what the Gospel calls us to.  I think the main fear of most people is that the choices they make will cause them to lose the gift of eternal life.  The people and clergy who focus upon individual pieces of scripture and use those words as a weapon miss the over arching message of the Word of God.  They focus so much upon individual trees that they miss the glory, beauty and power of the whole forest.[5]

 

When I fear for the state of my soul I will turn to particular portions of scripture to point me in the direction God wants me to go.  When I fear for the state of my soul and how I can/will inherit the kingdom of heaven I read Matthew 25:31-46.  There Jesus does tell us how to inherit the kingdom of heaven in no uncertain terms: those who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, take care of the sick and visit the imprisoned they are welcomed into the kingdom.  To my mind anything that gets in the way of this mission is not something to get angry about let alone divide the church.

 

I have never been so proud of the church as I was during the debate that occurred on that Friday night of Synod.  We discussed a very difficult issue, one that has divided the church for many years, with dignity, decorum, honesty, and faith.  Then when all the words were said our Bishop called us to prayer.  A brief moment of silence was palpable, you could feel the Holy Spirit come amongst us (I tear up as I type) and then our Bishop prayed.  I cannot remember the words of her prayer but I knew that the decision that we were about to come to would be one that was rooted in truth – and the truth will set you free!

 

The vote was taken and Synod spoke clearly and with out equivocation.  We defeated the motion soundly.  A small number of people voted against it and a small number of people abstained (of which I was one) but the overwhelming number of people there voted against this motion.  In that moment I think we might have actually moved beyond the “pimples of the surface”, that my godfather wrote about, and took a step toward moving into the bloodstream where good can be done.  We may actually be on the road to putting this issue behind us so that we can look forward toward are true mission given to us by Jesus himself.

 

The issue of human sexuality is one that, for me, has dominated our thinking and has stifled our sense of vocation toward bringing about the kingdom of God in the here and now.  We have so many other things of far more importance to be angry about.  Anglicans in this part of the world have the luxury of being angry about sex but it is really not worth our anger. 

 

Where is our anger around the 32,000+ children that died yesterday of hunger and preventable diseases?  Where is our anger around the countless homeless and displaced people in this world?  Where is our anger around the unjust legal systems of this world that imprison people rather than help to actually rehabilitate them?  Where is our anger around the ignoring of the root causes of these things human problems?  Why can we not get angry about these things and take an active role in obliterating them and then we might actually be taking a step toward bringing about the kingdom of heaven here in this place?

 

Perhaps we have taken a step in this journey… perhaps not.

 

So, where does this take us now?  I wish I knew.  Our Diocesan Synod has said overwhelmingly that we no longer recognize marriage as that between one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others and yet we must adhere to Canon XXI of our National Church which has not changed.  For now, I guess, the status quo is to be upheld and the next chapter of this discussion can begin.  But at least it can actually begin now.

 

I am proud of what the church did because now we can actually have some kind of movement on an issue that has consumed us to the exclusion of all others.  As I have already said, for me there are so many more issues before us that deserve our anger and righteous indignation.  For Jesus told us the way to heaven and that way was to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, care for the sick and visit the imprisoned – when we do this we will attain the kingdom of heaven right here, right now!  So let us continue to move toward a faithful, honest and loving decision on this issue once and for all so that we can then get on with the mission that is ours and has been given to us by Jesus.

 

I pray that we will begin to move toward our mission as people who are not afraid to tell the truth and follow that which Jesus has asked of us – to rejoice in the power of His Holy Spirit and to make this world a place where the kingdom of heaven can be seen, felt and made real.  WE have the power to do this all we have to do is get up off our apathy and do it.  Once we move beyond this issue (in either direction) we can then be seen to be renewing ourselves as Fr. Elliott describes and in that moment we become a true force to be reckoned with, one that puts others first, one that shows the world the power of God’s love, one that recognizes that objectification leads to subjectification and away from seeing people as humans.

 

The moment we lose sight of the fact that humans are made in the image of God is the moment we lose sight of God.

 

After the headiness of the debate and vote our bishop then, in her wisdom, took the opportunity to provide us with a brief bit of comic relief.  She asked that a music video created at the recent Ask & Imagine May program be played.  It is a rap video made by two of the participants about why they love the Anglican Church.  In it are these words:

 

Humanity’s in the ring, but it doesn’t mean we hafta brawl!
I see ills that are curable
Amidst our stagnance our conscience is stirrable
Light up the incence
I’m swingin my thurible
Our apathy is turrible
Straight outta compline![6]

 

The basis of most humour is solidly in fact.  The rap singers, Wagner & Reinhardt, who created this piece of work, are urging us to put off our apathy and stop the violence that so easily besets us so that we can cure the ills we impose upon ourselves.

 

In the end I am glad that the motion to table was defeated – there is wisdom in the way the youth delegates voted.  We were able to show the best of who we are in a manner that was faithful.  What we do with that experience is up to future Synods to discuss and decide.  I do hope that any further discussions on the topic of human sexuality that we will engage in during Synods to come will be as filled with courage, honesty, decorum and patience.