Within twenty-four hours the 2008 Lambeth Conference will be history. The official souvenirs are already on the markdown table, and the committee that is writing an official reflection of what has taken place here is holding hearings to see if its report is capturing the variety of voices that strain to be heard.
The voice of the Episcopal Church was the center of much attention today as we strained to be heard in a positive way. When people here talk about the “elephant in the room,” we know it is the Episcopal Church and our actions about which they are talking. By and large, we have come to Lambeth to listen to our brothers and sisters, but by today many of them wanted us to start talking about how we envision the future. And thus, we told our story.
When much discussion centered around the moratoria referenced in the Windsor Report (specifically about the blessing of same sex unions, the ordination to the episcopate of partnered gay people, and the violation of provincials boundaries by outside bishops), it seemed at times to turn to legalisms: what do certain words mean and how long a moratorium might be in place. I tried to change the tenor of the discussion a bit in my Indaba group by reminding my fellow bishops that what we all both want and need is to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our midst. The Episcopal Church just might be the crucible in which we test the validity of how the Spirit is working. It may be the case that affirming people in new types of relationships can lead to an effective gospel witness. It may be the case that a partnered gay bishop can be an effective gospel witness. And conversely, it may not. What we are asking is that we be offered the space by the Communion to see if this is indeed the case; if it is of God, we will eventually know it. If it is not, we will eventually know it as well. Either way, it can be our gift to the Communion. If we trust that in the long run God’s desire will be known, we have nothing to fear and much to gain.
So, what will be the result of this conference? I do not know. But I heard an exegesis of scripture today that gave me on what is important. All during the conference we have been studying the “I am” statements of Jesus in our Bible study groups. Today was the “I am he” statement of Jesus as the police came to arrest him. A wise bishop in my group said that he noticed that Judas did his best to set the Jewish people free from outside enslavement. Peter wanted Jesus to say with clarity who he was. (How much like the two opposing camps in our conference arguments) And then there was Jesus, who merely stood there, saying little, “being,” not “doing,” somehow knowing in his heart that the power of resurrection was just around the corner. Perhaps this is what all of us need in order to take heart: resurrection is near, and the world—and the Communion—will different when we experience it.
