Well,
it’s been quite an eventful ten days or so. However I’ll concentrate on just one theme that occupied me
which is the one about which I blogged before we went away for a few days.
On Friday (4th) we were due to be celebrating with our friends Esther
and Julie their wedding. So it was somehow bitter-sweet to hear Justin Welby
doing an hour’s phone-in on LBC Radio, answering among other things questions
about gay marriage. He came across well, I thought, not least making real why
it is such a hard issue for him.
The
wedding celebration was an extremely happy event. The couple were in great
form. One of them said to me, “It’s nice to feel normal,” and I could see what
she meant.
One
of the first things I picked up was the news that my occasional correspondent,
Vicky Beeching, who did her theological studies at the same place as me had
been getting it in the neck because of her support for equal marriage. She now
describes herself on Twitter as “Theologian.
Religious Commentator (Sky, BBC, ITV, Radio 2, Radio 4, LBC). Pro #womenbishops & pro #equalmarriage.
Feminist. Christian. Songwriter (EMI). Geek”. It was a blog post she had
written entitled My support of same-sex marriage which had incurred the wrath of many
Christian readers, sadly, and ironically, since it was a personal plea for
dialogue carried on in a loving spirit.
“So, while many conservative and
evangelical Christians are very angry about my stand for same-sex marriage,
please let’s dialogue in love. Journey with me here. I’ll be blogging about
this topic, the relevant Bible passages, recommending books and resources, and
writing about the various questions that arise from them all.
“Thanks to the many people who do
support equal marriage and have reached out to me. I’m touched by the way you
have gathered around me and rallied to encourage me at this difficult time.
Thanks also to those who’ve written to say they disagree with me, but are
wanting to do so with kindness and respect.
“If you want to
come on this journey, whatever your beliefs may be, I’d be delighted to have
you read, comment and share your responses on this site.”
Vicky derives much of her income from
royalties on her songs. One consequence of her expressing her views has been
churches telling her they’ll no longer use her songs, and thus she will lose a
good chunk of her livelihood. I decided to write her a note:
“Hi
Vicky.
“Thank
you for your blog post. As others have commented, it's brave. Being retired I
don't have as much to lose as you do. Being relatively obscure, I don't stand
to receive the shower of vitriol that you do. However as you know I come from a
similarly conservatively Christian background as yourself - and have to confess
to having held what might have been regarded as a Biblically-based homophobic
stance, which I now regret and of which I have repented, as I believe I should have
much sooner.
“My
change of mind and heart has not been an overnight conversion, but has been
based on my reexamination of the 'proof-texts' (very situation-specific in all cases
but one; that one a Biblical hapax legomenon [single instance] with a much debated
meaning), the resounding silence of Jesus on the subject of same-sex
attraction, and his resounding condemnation of judging others and his
all-encompassing demand of love. It's also arisen from witnessing the harm
inflicted on LGBT young people and their parents by the uncomprehending
condemnation of Christians like me, and from an encounter with a couple where I
had no doubt that I was to reach out, accept and love them. I had the
privilege of celebrating with their friends after their marriage a week ago on
Friday.
“Ironically
I had listened to Archbishop Justin's phone-in on LBC Radio that same morning.
And I did understand the awful dilemma that he has as a crucial leader within
the Anglican worldwide church, being aware that any 'liberalisation' which
might take place here would have fatal consequences to fellow Christians in
other countries - as well as having the responsibility to uphold the Church's
agreed teaching on marriage. I share your hope that 'as the Church of England
enters a two year discussion period about “human sexuality” based around The
Pilling Report,... those of us on all ‘sides’ can talk with respect and
kindness, despite the deeply painful and inflammatory nature of the subject
matter.' As mule-headed Oliver Cromwell said to the equally stubborn Scottish
Kirk Synod, 'I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible that you
may be mistaken.' We're all of us mere humans.
“I
suspect you don't need me to say that I don't believe you're a heretic, but on
the contrary Valiant for Truth in the market place of Vanity Fair. And I for
one will be listening to 'The Wonder of the Cross' this coming week and being
grateful.”
Following
my recommendation of Vicky’s article, I was contacted through Facebook by one
person challenging me to justify myself: “I have just never
found an even slightly convincing theological argument for its practice...” I
recommended Justin Lee’s Unconditional and Renato Lings,
Love Lost in Translation. I suspect Vicky’s subsequent posts on the subject
will provide more theology than I’m likely to. Another friend asked me whether
I had read the Rev Steve Chalke’s article on the subject – which I had, and did
again. I
replied, “Yes, I have read
it. It's so sad that Christians divide so heatedly over the issue. As I
mentioned in my blog, knowing parents of gay children and having friends who
are gay has made me think that the received attitude to homosexuality is
pastorally misconceived and harmful - unloving and unChristlike. I suspect I'm
like Steve Chalke in that. There are more struggling young gay Christians than
churches like to acknowledge and consequently they feel they either have to
conceal their sexuality or leave the ordinary fellowship of church.”
In
her reply she agreed and recounted how one of her friends at university left
the church when she realised that she was gay. She had prayed so hard that her
feelings would be taken away from her. “I also am concerned that Christians
appear to the outside world to be unloving bigots. I am so conscious of how the
church is viewed by many of my colleagues - and it is not good!”
The
stance which has caused more than “one of these little ones to fall” seems to me highly perilous and to require re-examination. I have previously
said that I do not like Government redefining language by dictat – that is
acting ultra vires in
my opinion – but I do also like the Church supporting faithful loving
commitment. Perhaps we need to accept that we live in an imperfect and broken
world, and do what we can to work for the reconciliation between person and
person and between people and God, which is why we call this Friday Good.
Have
a listen to this: "The wonder of the Cross".
I think it’s up there with “When I survey” and “There is a green hill”.
