A slightly calmer, more reasoned response to the English Synod.

‘THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! IT IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE!!! WE MUST WORK BY ANY MEANS POSSIBLE TO STOP THIS BIGOTRY IMMEDIATELY’!

I seriously doubt that any argument has ever ended with the words “Now that you have shouted at me, called me names and belittled my opinions I agree with and respect you, thank you for transforming my heart”. In the aftermath of the decision of the General Synod of the Church of England not to consecrate women to the Episcopate there was much anger and upset. I admit my initial reaction to the decision of the Synod was not exactly charitable, and looking around online I certainly wasn’t the only one who was hurt and disappointed by the decision.

History gives us countless examples of how the message of the loving, involved and living Gospel has been distorted and used to justify pre-existing prejudices: crusades, slavery, accusations of blood libel, exclusion and bullying of LGBT persons, the medieval church condoning women being ‘subservient’ to men and being raped and beaten by their husbands - all of these things have been done in the name of God, who we profess to be Love. Discrimination in the church is nothing new. We live in a world where many people are insecure, unaffirmed and fearful. In the face of prejudice, which is always fuelled by fear, we face the challenge of trying to reflect Christ to hearts that are afraid, both inside and outside of the church.

How do we rise to this challenge? Should we just leave it all in the hands of God, with the faith that all will be well, and keep the peace? A big question I had after the decision of the English Synod was ‘is it okay to get angry and frustrated when we meet prejudice and injustice’? Or is turning the other cheek about maintaining a ‘serene’ disposition at all times in all situations the right thing to do?

Of course, apathy is never the answer. Apathy is the opposite of love, and is answerable for much evil and exploitation in the world.

One of my favourite theologians, Richard Rohr (OFM), speaks of the process of being authentically and truly-present with another as ‘an encounter wherein the self-disclosure of one evokes a deeper life in the other’. Very often we settle for being ‘human-doings’ or ‘human-sayings’ rather than human-beings, but it is at the being level of life that love is most profoundly transferred. The words of Jesus “When you forgive others they are unbound; and those you don’t forgive you keep them bound up” (John 20:22-23) show us just how much power God has given us to affirm or deny one another, to receive one another’s love, to receive one another’s curse. The way that we treat others is the very gateway for Divine affirmation or ignorance of the Divine. 

God took such a risk in creating us with such power for one another and how awful must it be for persons for whom there are few or no truthful, loving and affirming mirrors- nobody who treats them in a way so as to be the gateway for Divine affirmation. As such, it is important in our dialogue with others to remember how Jesus looked at the rich young man “and loved him” (Mark 10:21). When we engage with other Christian groups, with those who have different opinions to ours – no matter how baffling, unjust and discriminatory they seem to us - we must be mindful of how our words and actions lead them towards or away from Divine affirmation.

Anger, although an entirely natural and human reaction does not serve our goal. Harsh words and argument will not transform the hearts of those members of the English Synod who still seek to exclude women from the Episcopate. All too often, in our passion to end injustice in the church and the world, we can easily become the oppressor or the aggressor at the opposite end of the spectrum to those we disagree with. When we mirror others negatively we become obstacles instead of gateways to Divine affirmation (both of ourselves and the other person).

If we can transform hearts by presence, lifestyle and loving relationship instead of, ‘having rows’ with people, this will bring the living, involved and loving Gospel into realisation and transform the church and the world in a way that no amount of heated debate, doctrine, or moralistic ‘purity competitions’ ever will. We should be confident in moving forward with faith, hope and love knowing that this is not the end of the story, that the transforming Holy Spirit is working in the church and that the full ministry of women in the Church of England will one day be realised and affirmed.