Where is the love?
Today's SMH frontpage article carried a scandal which has erupted in the Anglican church.A female doctor wrote a rude email to the rector of her church, and was ostracised as a result of it.
She's been taken off all roles at church, which has caused rampant gossip to spread through the church, including flavours of lesbianism and paedophilia. She is now suing the Anglican church for defamation.
The full article is here.
Before I begin, I shall say that there are always two sides to a story. I base my next 300 or so words on purely on the SMH article, and thus I am no doubt uninformed of the full and extensive circumstances. I make note of this bias now. However, I think this article brings out a much larger problem in general, which is not particular to this incident, but rife in all church communities (and that's the real problem).
As with all issues in life, it is best to turn to the Bible to base one's opinion.
"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." Matthew 18:15
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." Galatians 6:1
I believe that the church did not act biblically (ie. according to what God would have wanted), by taking her off ministerial roles without talking to her first.
All people are sinful, and we all make mistakes. Christianity is no stranger to this concept - but the church seems to forget that we all live under forgiveness, every single one of us a sinner forgiven by God. I think of the story that Jesus told about the man who had a debt of millions. It was graciously cancelled by the king, but then he turns around and beats up the guy who owned him a dollar. If we've indeed been forgiven of millions, let's not turn on the one who owes us a buck.
"Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it... There is only one Lawgiver and Judge... but you - who are you to judge your neighbour?" James 4:11-12
Gossip within the church makes me overwhelmingly sad. Christians are supposed to show people God's love, and yet we can be the most unloving people in the world. Rampant gossip shown here displays the ugliness of people, devastatingly deviant to what Jesus taught.
I say this not with superiority, because I am someone who has engaged/engages in gossip myself. It is wrong, and I am so ashamed of that. I struggle with keeping my mouth shut all the time. Seeing the tragic consequences of gossip played out on the city's frontpage news is a starking reminder of the potency of the poisonous tongue.
I could say more, particularly in reference to what God says about lawsuits in 1 Corinthians 6. But I'll just end this post off with another passage instead -
"If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him." 2 Corinthians 2:5-8
I have a good mind to write to the lady in question to reaffirm my love, as a fellow Christian, to her.
So she screwed up. We all do sometimes. Let's just continue to love her and forgive her and embrace her in. Church doesn't have to be this ugly. It was never supposed to be this ugly.
posted by me. @ 10:17 AM
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