This is Life: Revolutions Around the Cruciform Axis

Being Sick and Tired: ECUSAn Innovators Want to Move On

I'm discovering an interesting phenomenon: advocates for Gene Robinson's consecration are wearied of the ensuing dialogue. Take for example, this representative comment from Anglicans Online: "We're really quite weary of reading everyone's opinions, and urge those who are going to leave to just pipe down and leave, and those who are going to stay to get on with the business of being Christian."

But it seems to me that the onus of defense and justification is on those who claim this is a new movement of the Holy Spirit. The "traditionalists" have affirmed their case and the adherence to the Church's tradition. If I have a new revelation, along the lines of the infamous and late Joseph Smith, Jr., that God wants me to add a new wife or two to my household, you can for sure bet Anna is going to want a defense and justification. And no matter how "weary" I may become with all this theological and moral wrangling, well, I brought it on myself. The Robinson consecration party similarly brought it on themselves. Thus, despite how sick and tired they are of going over this ground, they're going to have to continue to defend it. We are called, after all, to test the spirits, to see whether they are of Christ.

But I think for ECUSA in particular, another dynamic has entered in: there has not been any real dialogue. Or, perhaps more accurately, the unfinished dialogue was brought to a screeching halt by political acts at General Convention. Furthermore, when the head of the Episcopal Church signs an agreed primatial statement, then weeks later acts in open contradiction to the statement, one is bound to query whether he really meant to dialogue about it. One could say the same about Bishop Ingham who openly flouted the consensus of an earlier Primates meeting.

So, those who are advocates of Robinson find themselves in the curious dilemma of not wanting to talk anymore, but being forced to defend actions which minimally could be described as being boorish toward those who oppose their position.

It's not time to get on with the mission of the Church. After all, each party has a different understanding of what that is. It's time for the Robinson party to defend their position. If the Robinson folks really wanted dialogue, well, now's their chance. But dialogue is pretty hard work. It's much easier to enact legislation.