What Tree?

"The nature of the crisis in the Anglican Communion has often been identified as the issue over homosexuality, but Archbishop Henry Orombi of the Church of Uganda stressed that the heart of the crisis is the 'risk of losing our biblical foundation.'"

Well, here it is again. We need to stand on our foundation. As Martin Luther said, "Here I stand." For the Anglicans, it isn't really an issue of homosexuality. Human sexuality, and its boundaries, are defined in the bible. As people take their eyes off God, and focus on themselves, their wants and desires, they necessarily have to throw out the bible.

Brother McRoberts, one of my teachers at college, had a nice visual turn of phrase for this. Picture Adam and Eve, standing in the Garden of Eden. God asks if they have eaten from the tree. Standing there, axe in hand, juice dribbling down their chins, they ask him, "What tree?"

What tree, indeed. I'm reminded of a poem, "The Second Coming" I think. As a beast slouches towards Bethlehem to be born, the falcon is circling further and further away from the falconer. This world is too much with us. As we draw closer to the world, we draw away from God. Spinning out, our gyre takes us to a distance to where we can't see the center of our existence anymore.

Eventually, to justify our actions, we have to dismiss the bible as valid. What did God say? Did he say it us? Or to the Jews and Christians millenia ago? No, they decide. It was cultural. Or for health and dietary reasons.

The issue is holiness, not homosexuality.

Effective Dialogue

“But, as you know, it is fundamental to any kind of dialogue that the participants are clear about their own identity. That is, dialogue cannot be an occasion to accommodate or soften what you actually understand yourself to be.”

Well, I can't say I agree with Pope Benedict XVI on alot of things, but this is one point we share. I can't dialogue with you unless I know where I stand. There was a sermon I preached from the Gospel of Mark. I don't remember which chapter, or verse, or passage. But I remember the fact that Jesus was able to stand up to his detractors because he knew who he was.

We need to have that same assurance. This is one of the reasons regular church attendance, Bible reading, and Bible study are so important. As we continually ground ourselves in who we are, and what we believe, we know how to answer those who question us.

It also gives us courage to face life. I see people in my line of work who have undergone terrible things, and I wonder how I would do if faced with the same problems. Its the same thing again. I need to know who I am, and where I stand, to face these things.

In my daily dialogue with those around me, or even the chance encounters, knowing where I stand allows me to evaluate where they are at also. Do they stand with me? Against me? Or are they just spinning in circles wasting time?

One more thing here. I need to know these things in order to know if I am giving ground. What can I sacrifice? What is holy ground? What do I need to protect at all costs? I grew up believing that a person must speak in tongues in order to get into heaven, must attend the Assemblies of God, and several other things along these lines. A christian cannot drink. A christian cannot smoke. A christian cannot swear. Well, Jesus came to save sinners. Saved from hell. Saved from their sins. If they don't change, they can still be saved. But they must believe that Jesus is the Son of God who came in the flesh. They must trust him for their salvation, and none else.

These things hold firm.