The Rev. Toby Brown has a post up on his blog bemoaning the diversity of beliefs in the PC(USA). A couple of sentences caught my eye [emphasis mine]:
And this is our intractable divide--one act, like Spahr's
performing of a 'marriage' for lesbians, is called good by one group
and sinful by another. Yet, we all reside within one tent, one
communion, one covenant community.
I read that and I don't think "Damn, that's awful," I read that and I think "Hallelujah, isn't that wonderful?!"
I've always thought that the whole point of the church was that it wasn't like other human institutions, that it was the place where we could be together even though we disagreed, even though we were 180 degrees apart on some things we could still worship together, sing together, and share in the sacraments together.
For me, that's a huge part of the Good News. God, through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has changed the way things have always been. Humans can do better than the have, can get along despite their differences, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is the place where that can happen.
It's a little thing I like to call "The exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven on the world." The Kingdom is going to be filled with people who disagree with us (if for no other reason than requiring agreement to enter the Kingdom pretty much amounts to salvation by works) and we might as well get used to it now.
