Off to St. Louis
I'll be in St. Louis tomorrow. Our diocese has a covenant relationship with the Diocese of Lui, in Sudan. I chair the committee that coordinates that relationship. [Yeah, I recognize that's fairly ironic, given the garbage that the Archbishop of Sudan said about gay/lesbian people during Lambeth. But I remain committed to reconciliation … even reconciliation with Archbishop Daniel.] I spent a couple of weeks in Lui in 2006 and it changed me forever.Over the past three weeks, our diocese has had a team of missioners in Lui. They have blogged here and here. My heart has been with them, even as my mind has had to be here.
Now they are home at last. We are going to have a "welcome home" get-together. That's where I'll be Sunday. I yearn to meet and talk with our missioners.
posted by Lisa Fox at 1/10/2009 11:51:00 PM
6 Comments:
Good for you, and them. I kept wondering how this bit of unfortunate/unwise ugliness directed against Bishop VG Robinson, all LGBT Episcopalians/Anglicans, was going to sort itself out with your mission partnership.
Leonardo, we are entirely committed to the relationship with the Diocese of Lui. After all, we Christians are all about reconciliation, right? Not only does the gospel command that we continue to love and support our friends in Sudan, but we want to do so.
As it happens, our team had two good, fairly long visits with Archbishop Daniel, and he went out of his way to discuss the "recent unpleasantness." It was good.
Would you share what Archbishop Bul shared about the ¨recent unpleasantness¨...is there regret, better understanding, willingness to listen, new humility...how about his Gafcon travel and resulting declarations regarding The Anglican Communion...there are many ways to help our friends in Sudan and I am thankful that you continue doing it in your way...I would be hardpressed to think of a reason NOT to be helpful and loving to so many Christians and other human beings who have suffered so much exploitation, demoralization and everyday grief.
Blessings for your work, dear Lisa!
Thanks, Göran. I hope you will go over to their blogs and read their stories.
Leonardo, I don't mean to be cagey. But some things spoken between friends deserve discretion.
Let me begin by reminding you and all my 3 readers that the Archbishop of Sudan did not attend GAFCON. Most of his neighboring primates did, but he did not! I imagine much pressure was brought to bear on him to attend GAFCON, but he did not. I believe it took a strong act of will for him to say "no." I urge all of you to attend to that decision.
Here is what else I feel willing to say.
Nobody in the Diocese of Missouri was surprised by the Sudanese bishops' written statement. We knew they would need to say that stuff.
What did shock me were the Archbishop's statements in his on-air press conference. Now I understand a bit more about that. One of the schismatic TEC bishops led Archbishop Daniel into that room where the worldwide press was assembled. He did not seek it out. I can imagine that he was unaccustomed to having the world religion press focused on him. I can imagine that he said some things, not realizing how it would play on the world stage and how quickly it would spread throughout the Anglican Communion.
Having heard from our team that spent time with Archbishop Daniel in Sudan, I am letting it go. I know he won't ever lead a fight for LGBT equality. But I have a bit more perspective now, and I won't dodge an opportunity to meet with him when I return to Sudan. I believe he has an inquiring mind.
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