A Message from the Convener of Affirmation Scotland
If you are not a member of The Church of England, or of one of the churches in the Anglican Communion, you might feel that the forthcoming Lambeth Conference, when Anglican Bishops from around the world meet together, is of no interest or consequence. I think you could be forgiven for feeling this but I do want to suggest that what happens in the C of E, The Anglican Communion and at The Lambeth Conference ought to be of interest and concern to anyone who desires and prays for a church that affirms lgbt people. Anyone who wants the church to be inclusive must include all the churches in their sphere of prayer and interest. Inclusion cannot be partial or one-dimensional.
Even before the Lambeth Conference has begun there is much media interest in its agenda, which will include (how could it not!) the views of the Anglican Communion on homosexuality. A group of conservative bishops have had their own pre-Lambeth meeting in Jerusalem. At its press conference some of those bishops were questioned on violence against lesbian and gay people, particularly in Africa. The Bishop from Sydney, Australia, condemned this violence but the Bishops from Africa on the platform with him remained silent. When nothing is said people will act as they wish; silence breeds fear. (For more on this see www.Ekklesia.co.uk)
The pronouncements by Anglican Bishops, and their coverage in the media, contribute to a public debate which, it has to be remembered, is a debate about the acceptability of the lives and relationships of lesbian and gay Christian people. This is not an academic discussion but one which affects how people feel about themselves, their faith and sexuality, their relationships. To be a lesbian or gay Christian requires thick skin in order to withstand the ongoing verbal assault on us. Anyone who speaks out against lesbian and gay people must temper their remarks with the awareness that words do matter and that in some parts of the words the assault is not only verbal but physical. Violence cannot be subdivided into that which is acceptable and that which is not.
When the Anglican Bishops meet in Conference at Lambeth on 16 July there will be one Bishop missing due to his invite not being sent. Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, USA, who is openly gay, has not been invited to attend (nor, I assume, has his partner been invited to the incongruous parallel spouses conference!) I think I’m right in saying that Bishop Robinson has been forbidden to preach in any Anglican church in England: let’s recognise that such rejection is an act of violence. However, Bishop Robinson is coming to the UK and on 3 August will preach and celebrate the Eucharist at St. Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral in Glasgow. I anticipate that placard waving protesters are likely to be at the Cathedral gates that Sunday but I also predict that the roof will not fall in when the Bishop is at the altar and that the whole service will be glorifying to God. There will be a warm welcome for him in Glasgow. This is good news for all lgbt Christians – not just the Episcopalians - and good news ought to be celebrated wherever it happens. St Paul suggests to the church that when one Christian suffers, all suffer together and when one is honoured, all are honoured. (1 Corinthians 12:26) (See www.cathedral.glasgow.anglican.org)
I do think that the public debate has moved on, however. The story of interest to the media, generally speaking, is not (shock, horror) there are lgbt Christians in the church but (shame) the church will not embrace them. Society has moved, pushed along by statutory legislation which outlaws discrimination and gives legal recognition to same-sex relationships; the air we now breathe is not as polluted as it once was by innuendo and malice. Where that does happen – and there will be angry and hate-filled words from some Bishops this summer which will taint the air we breathe – we must continue to believe that just as well suffer together, so Christ also suffers with us, for Christ is always on the side of the victim, the rejected and the persecuted. The communion we have with Christ cannot be fractured.