Responding in Love

The 80^th General Convention of The Episcopal Church begins next week in Baltimore, Maryland. General Convention happens in a spirit of prayer under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is a gathering grounded in the daily Eucharist and other times of prayer that ask God to be present and to guide the minds and hearts of all who will make important decisions for our life together.

I remember volunteering at General Convention 2003 in Minneapolis. This was the convention that approved the election of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire. Gene was the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in The Episcopal Church. I was impressed by the spirit of the convention. Bishop Robinson’s approval was not easy or without controversy, but there was a spirit of respect grounded in prayer and in the understanding that Christians can still love people with whom they disagree. 

Today we face another important issue, one that the church has been grappling with since 1967, the issue of abortion. The Episcopal Church teaches that “all human life is sacred” and that there is a “tragic dimension” to all abortions. In 1988, the 69^th General Convention passed a statement on childbirth and abortion. You can read it here:

https://www.episcopalarchives.org/cgi-bin/acts/acts_search.pl?user_query=1994-a054

As you can see, this statement affirms the sacredness of human life. It goes on to affirm responsible family planning and the primacy of conscience in decision making. It encourages exploration of alternatives to abortion, but opposes “any legislative, executive or judicial action… that abridges the right of a woman to reach an informed decision about the termination of pregnancy or that would limit the access of a woman to safe means of acting on her decision.”

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry reminded us in his statement, “today’s decision institutionalizes inequality because women with access to resources will be able to exercise their moral judgment in ways that women [pregnant persons] without the same resources will not.”

I know that there are strong feelings on both sides of this issue. It is helpful for me to know that our church has carefully considered it in forums of prayer and respect and come to a decision that supports the primacy of conscience and a woman’s right to choose. 

It is challenging to face the fact that Christians disagree with one another. But agreement isn’t required for unity. We gather each week to celebrate God’s love for all and to be equipped to listen and respond to those who are struggling and those with whom we might disagree. We must respond in love, always. 

Peace,

Bill+