The decennial Lambeth Conference where Anglican Bishops from all over the globe gathered has recently concluded.

Of late, these meetings have been riven with controversy over the issue of human sexuality. There have been splits throughout the Anglican Communion. Here in Aotearoa there is now a separated group who call themselves CCAANZ; ‘The Church of Confessing Anglicans Aotearoa New Zealand’. We too experienced our splits, two decades earlier. For any who have been noticing, we are looking on helplessly as the United Methodist Church – the second largest Protestant denomination in the USA, fractures - after years of trying to hold itself together. It is no longer united.

It may be regarded as impudent of the President of Te Hahi Weteriana to be making any comments about how other parts of the Christian Church manage their own business.

While we share common struggles, our contexts vary, so a solution that works in one context will not automatically work in another. Having said that I was struck by the way that Archbishop Justin Welby addressed the issues they faced at Lambeth. I here include an extract from a rather short speech *.

To quote Archbishop Justin:

First, the Call is about Human Dignity and also about Sexuality. The reason the two are combined is that its central theological foundation is that all human beings are of equal worth, loved by God and are those for whom Jesus died on the Cross and rose to life. As St Paul says again and again in Romans “there is no distinction”.

Second, as we discuss this, we are all vulnerable.

For the large majority of the Anglican Communion the traditional understanding of marriage is something that is understood, accepted and without question, not only by Bishops but their entire Church, and the societies in which they live. For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

For a minority, we can say almost the same. They have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change. They are not careless about scripture. They do not reject Christ. But they have come to a different view on sexuality after long prayer, deep study and reflection on understandings of human nature. For them, to question this different teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

So let us not treat each other lightly or carelessly. We are deeply divided. That will not end soon. We are called by Christ himself both to truth and unity.

Very impressive. Solomon would have been proud! I appreciate the wisdom of honestly naming the divisions and at the same time managing to honour both sides of the divide. As one who has stood on both sides of that divide I can fully appreciate why, when he was finished, he received a standing ovation from most of those present. Each was acknowledged. Each allowed to stand in their place with integrity. It may not have moved the issue forward, yet it gave breathing space. More importantly it helped each ‘side’ to recognise that the other was not simply operating out of obdurate and wilful ignorance on the one hand, or out of rebellion against the word of God on the other. While I’m personally convinced that the ‘arche of history does move toward justice’ that process of change is slow. Often frustratingly, perhaps necessarily so.

As I consider our own context, Aotearoa, it occurs to me that at the root of our problem is differing understandings of God. I grew up and have lived my life in an Evangelical milieu, where we tend to interpret scripture through the lens of the ‘fall’ - of sin and judgement - rather than through the lens of ‘original goodness’ and through redemption.

In the former we tend to frame God as one to be feared – a God who is primarily judge, waiting to zap us when we get it wrong. In the latter we see God as love, who is concerned that we experience life, and life in its fullness. As E Stanley Jones would put it, “This is a Christ-like God. Shifting from the former to the latter has been a slow yet life-giving process. My love for scripture and the God to whom it points remains unabated, and my trust in that same God continues to grow.

*The entire speech can be read at: www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/speaking-writing/speeches/lambeth-call-human-dignity-read-archbishop-justins-remarks