GENEralities

I’ve been feeling pretty rattled lately. I find the slide towards redefining marriage by our government very upsetting. It feels like a betrayal. The wonderful sacramental mystery which has bound my wife, Jude, and I together as one flesh for close to 36 years is being cheapened and dismantled.

I am also saddened by my own denomination’s electing of a practising homosexual man as a bishop in New Hampshire and the move to “bless” same-sex relationships.

Most Canadian Anglican bishops are disturbingly silent on the issues. They seem more concerned with preserving their own authority than their ordination call to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the church.

I don’t like it and I wish it would all go away.

I’ve read scathing, loveless, rhetoric from both sides.

What to do? Join the war of words? Leave my denomination? I don’t know. What I do know is to bring it all before my God in prayer and to search the Bible for guidance.

So I read the first forty-five chapters of Jeremiah a couple of Mondays ago. It seems to me he was dealing with things unravelling around his ears, too. What did I learn? Jeremiah stayed in the mess and spoke what he believed was the truth, in love. His message was not well received.

Then, this morning, I read Jesus saying, “Do not resist an evil person” (let alone a well-intentioned but misguided person with whom I disagree) and “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”. Sigh.

Am I dealing with evil enemies? I think not. Just sinners like me. And we all need to “take care,” as Jeremiah wrote, “for the sake of our lives.” Lord, have mercy on us all.

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