More Than Stone

HT to Max for this article.

For those of you following all the goings on in the Anglican Communion, a fascinating speech given by BISHOP MUSONDA TREVOR SELWYN MWAMBA of Botswana. If you have some time, hop over and read it. It’s a different view from Africa than the one that I have heard touted the most. If you are unfamiliar with the split in the Anglican Communion, at the most basic level, it’s about homosexuality. Some churches in the US (and elsewhere in the West) have split from ECUSA and joined AMIA. (And if you ARE unfamiliar with this schism, where HAVE you been?)

One thing I have wondered during this whole thing, is how does power and $$ play into this? AMIA now has 109 affiliates with over 70 other groups in various stages of formation. How much $$ is now being directed to the provinces in Rwanda and Southeast Asia? Does this $$ play into the schism? Read a quote from Bishop Mwamba….

“The other factor influencing the voices from Africa is numbers and the almighty dollar!

These factors can be seen to influence – and at times bring pressure to bear, or even manipulate the situation. Where does ‘power’ lie in the present debate? The provinces in Nigeria have collectively the largest number of Anglican members in the world – more than the Church of England and ECUSA combined! America has long been generous in its hospitality and support for African church projects and its leaders, however, in the current situation, the almighty dollar has been used to strengthen the voice and position of some African bishops who have been invited to the States and given generous incentives. Very tempting indeed for a bishop from a poor African diocese to be feted and offered funds by his American hosts, if he endorses the party line!

One of the things that amazes me in this whole debate is the manner in which lobbying, very peculiar to America, has been used to influence opinion, decisions, and relationships, which results in the creation of a culture of ‘them’ and ‘us’, ‘in’ and ‘out’, and never shall the twain meet. The success of this lobyying has been assisted mainly by the dissemination of information on the internet.”

I am not implying that the Bishops that support the separation of US churches from ECUSA do not have strong beliefs and convictions. I am saying, however, that money has a great potential to corrupt and confuse issues.

Another quote from the Bishop.

” One is reminded of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the King sitting as a judge orders the jury to consider their verdict even before the trial has began. And the Rabbit hastily interrupts, “Not yet, not yet! There is a great deal to come before that!”

Yes, there is a great deal to come from the listening process and so we all need patience the solution will not come today or tomorrow but most likely within the next 20 years or God’s time because God who was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, is also here today working for reconciliation in the Anglican Communion as we embrace different views of our faith. Reconciliation is the answer.”

Reconciliation is the answer. Hmmm. I think that perhaps this is a theme that continues to pop up. Isn’t this what God is about? Reconciling us to Him and to each other.

NOTE: I am adding this addendum to this post. I found a quote by Archbishop Kolini. (see AMIA.)

Quoting the Bible, Kolini said that Christians should always keep their bodies pure since the body is God’s temple. He said that yielding to acts of homosexuality is tantamount to committing genocide.

“In Rwanda we are spearheading the ‘Never Again’ notion. We had physical genocide and we can’t afford having another moral genocide,” he emphasized

Wow. This is so sad. Another genocide? This type of inflammatory rhetoric should NOT be allowed.

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