Is unity in disunity possible?

 

The Church of England recently held its summer Synod at which the Archbishop of York made a keynote address.  Although it hit the headlines because he raised the rather well-rehearsed idea that calling God ‘Father’ is not always helpful, the main thrust of his talk was about the growing disunity within The Church of England.

Here's a line from his speech:  We remain stubbornly unreconciled, appear complacent about division, and often also appear all to ready to divide again.  We have got used to disunity.  We think it’s normal when in fact, it is a disgrace, an affront to Christ and all he came to give us.

Well, maybe looking over the fence and commenting on another denomination’s synod may be considered bad form, but I have to say Stephen Cottrell’s words touched me, especially the idea that disunity may even now be considered the norm.

The context of the Archbishop’s message was not so much ecumenical disunity but the strife that is tearing the Anglican Church apart at the moment, cantering especially around issues of sexuality.  The same critique could be made of many Churches, including The Baptist Union which is struggling hard to find a way forward. 

The next few years may see various denominations splitting over this issue.  Perhaps we will not be able to all sign up to one view on sexuality.  The challenge will then be about how we respect our different interpretations of scripture.  If it’s not too confusing a thing to say, I pray for a unity even within our disunity; for there is still so very much that holds us together. 

We’ll see, we haven’t reached the end of the road quite yet, but hard and difficult decisions are before every denomination.

A hymn, by the United Reformed Church minister, John Campbell has an opening line which reads like a wonderful prayer: 

                                    A body made of many parts,
                                    diverse, yet all together,
                                    where each is valued, each required,
                                    and all are one forever.

May it be so.

Wise Words

 

This weekend many of us who followed the Revised Common Lectionary will touch on the theme of ‘Wisdom’ in our sermons.  That’s because, as we follow Matthew’s gospel this year, on Sunday we reach the passage where Jesus talks of God’s wisdom often being found in unexpected places and spoken by unexpected people.

Our neighbours in France are going through turbulent times following the shooting of Nahel.  As with so many issues this one is complex and generates deep emotions.  Following the shooting of this young man we have seen numerous protests and riots on the streets of many French cities, and we have been saddened that the response has generated considerable anguish among so many citizens.

The right to protest is a commonly accepted one in liberal democracies, yet when it escalates into violence and threatens the loss of more life, we long for a word of wisdom to come that will help re-settle society and enable different factions to find more common ground.

With that in mind I was so impressed to hear such wise and proportionate words spoken by the captain of the French Football Team last week, Kylian Mbappe.  He issued a statement, on behalf of all the players, which ended:

…we understand what’s at the core of the anger, but violence does not solve anything, even less when it inevitably turns against those who express it…you are destroying your own properties, your neighbourhoods, your cities.  The time of violence must give way to that of mourning, dialogue, and reconstruction.

What helpful and inspiring words from the players of France’s national team, Les Bleus.  And, perhaps, it appropriately underlines the truth, which Jesus teaches in this week’s Gospel, that often wisdom is, indeed, found in unexpected places.