(no subject)

Here is a beautiful article written by Lauren Stanely, who is an Episcopal priest who lives and works in Sudan: Church Dispute Gets in the way of God's Love


I like this article a great deal. Not just because it addresses the issues of the Episcopal church in a firm but sympathetic way, but because I believe Lauren's philosophy can so easily be applied to so many other issues in every other denomination as well- too often, the concept of God's love is shoved aside and ignored in favor of more self-serving interests, when it should be the leading factor. The horrifying predominance of Christian fundamentalism in this country gives glaring examples of that every day.

Some of the quotes from the article that I particularly like:

Not only do their arguments not make sense, they also miss the core of the Gospel of Jesus Christ they are supposed to be preaching. The departing parishes never talk about God's inclusive love, only their own exclusion of those who disagree with them.

and

In Sudan, we are fighting for our very lives.

In the United States, we are fighting over how to interpret words written by mere mortals centuries ago.

In Sudan, people battle hunger, disease, land mines left over from the war, militias and bandits who pull people off buses and shoot them dead in broad daylight.

In the United States, people battle over who knows the mind of Christ the best.

and

Hatred has no place in the Sudanese Church.

It has no place in the American Church either.

God's love -- and how that is lived out -- is the ONLY thing that counts.


Read it. Its good.


hat tip varsitynj