Bishop Mark Webb, (Upper New
York Conference, United Methodist Church) has dismissed a complaint filed
against me for my officiating at a same sex marriage.
In a letter addressed to me he
said, “ . . . consider this matter
closed.”
Remarkably, his letter
contains no restrictive clauses, expectations, instructions, or requirements by
which I might yet be held accountable.
There is no quid pro quo.
No deal was struck; no secret
promises made.
For all I know he may be the
first United Methodist bishop to dismiss this particular complaint (officiating
at a same sex marriage) without going through a trial, insisting on a penalty,
or otherwise demanding some promise.
He did not have to dismiss
the complaint.
He was not required to accept
the Church Counsel’s recommendation “to dismiss”.
He had the right to bring
this matter to a trial.
Instead, a dove of grace
appears.
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There will be fallout, of
course, mostly for Bishop Mark.
If one is a public figure, there
is always fallout.
And all bishops are public
figures.
Some will assume his decision
was strictly political – a “savvy play to gain street cred” with the
overwhelming number of people supporting marriage equality resolutions in Upper
New York.
Others will accuse him of infidelity
to the faith, or ignoring Scripture’s so-called “clear teaching” about
homosexuality, or not upholding his duty as bishop.
Some will claim betrayal, apostasy, or
“caving in” to the whims of popular culture.
It’s hard for most public
figures to feel attacks are not intended to be personal.
I hope he can.
This week, as fate would have it, he has unexpected company.
Last Monday, Tony Campolo, one of the most influential
evangelical preachers in the country announced he changed
his mind about gay people and gay marriage.
“It
has taken countless hours of prayer, study, conversation and emotional turmoil
to bring me to the place where I am finally ready to call for the full
acceptance of Christian gay couples into the church", he said.
THAT VERY AFTERNOON, AFTER READING TONY CAMPOLO’S ANNOUNCEMENT, David
Neff, the retired chief editor of
“Christianity Today” (the most esteemed
and revered magazine written by and for evangelical Christians) agreed
with Campolo’s affirmation of gay people.
“God bless Tony Campolo,”
he said. “He is acting in good faith and is, I think, on the right track.”
Is the Spirit gently blowing
here and there?
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THE SUPREME COURT is supposed
to release its decision about the constitutionality of gay marriage sometime in
the next 20 days.
Many have suggested that no
matter what the Supremes announce, “there will be winners and there will be
losers.”
To be sure, if the court
upholds the right of gay people to be married, I will be among the many to heartily
cheer the decision.
Millions of gay people, and
their families and friends, will at long last, be vindicated.
Personally, I hope it’s
rainbows from Maine to Alaska!
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Yet, from the perspective of “Jesus Drawing the Circle Wide”, the win/lose
thing doesn’t really work, does it?
To go back to where we
started, what if Bishop Webb's decision (regarding my case) is not so much "a
victory for our side" or a “defeat for the other side” but rather "one
more hope-filled step closer toward living together in grace, all our issues
notwithstanding”.
You see, I actually need my
conservative/traditional brothers and sisters to balance me.
I need them to forgive,
learn, celebrate, worship, and share the Gospel with me.
Sure, we have different
interpretations of the Gospel.
But so what?
The Gospel (the way Matthew figured
it out) sits calmly in my Bible next to the Gospel (the way Mark thought it
should be).
According to Luke’s memory,
they sure missed a lot of parables but the last time I checked, neither Matt
nor Mark had left my Bible angry.
All of them are quite
different from John, but not even once did John challenge the other 3 that they
pretty much missed the main point.
I know scores of people who have
found healing, life and joy because of the way conservative churches have
preached the Gospel.
It’s quite different than how
I preach, but so what?
I know many people who have discovered God's presence in the most liberal of churches.
Why should one size fit all?
We have more in common than
we have differences.
If we progressives just “win”
the gay issue, but our conservative brothers and sisters leave the church
because of it, we will have accomplished very little.
As Len Cohen noted,
“Love is not a victory march.
It’s a cold and
it’s a broken halleluiah.”
