-The Book of Common Prayer
In our time of war and as there are a multitude of conflicts across the world, we must be reminded this Holy Week that we are to be instruments of God's peace (to draw from the saying of St. Francis), and not only of God's peace in the context of armed conflict, but in the context of all conflict. For we are not at peace with our neighbor if we hate him, nor are we at peace with ourselves if we hate and revile ourselves. As an Episcopalian and thus an Anglican, I am acutely reminded of our present enmity within the church of God.
Protestants and Catholics aren't killing each other with swords anymore, but American Anglicans and African Anglicans are lobbing verbal nuclear devices at each other, decimating our credibility in preaching Christ crucified, and leaving in the aftermath children of God with no mother church and shepherd to feed them.
I have meditated much on this subject, and have debated it as well. "What end ought the church pursue most fervently, unity or truth?" Of course I believe that we ought to pursue both ends as fervently as we can, though I find that people who come down on the side of pursuing truth at the expense of unity rarely find themselves in need of the pursuit since they are of the opinion they have already caught it.
The Apostle Paul reminds us that we have only a limited understanding of the world, "for now we see through a glass darkly." Even if we achieve Truth in this lifetime, we will have no way of being sure we have achieved it, living under the veil of mortality and finiteness. Rather, I believe, Truth is progressively revealed to us through our reading of Scripture, our participation in Tradition, the use of our Reason, and our daily Experience. Thus, if Truth is not manifestly something we can fully grasp, or even be aware of when it is grasped, it would seem that we should pursue, above all things, the Unity of Christ's Church.
Certainly in the context of the Anglican Communion, we all pray, weekly "For Thy holy catholic church: that we all may be one." Yet we can, as the Collect I quoted earlier says "confront one another without hatred or bitterness, and work together with mutual forbearance and respect." As the Proverbs remind us "a harsh word stirs up wrath, but a gentle word breaks a bone." We can have our disputes and attempt to convert others to our way of thinking, but we should do so by being like Christ, not Caiaphas.
As we look ahead to the almost inevitable collisions with Iran, China, North Korea, and other nations, let us pray that we will first resort to the admonitions of the Collect. Let us only respond with military arms as a means of defense, and never offense. The doctrine of pre-emptive strike is contrary to the teachings of Christ and of Holy Scripture. We are to love our enemies, not hate them. This was one of the new teachings of Christ, breaking from tradition. In the Garden of Gethsemane, in a story familiar to all Christians, Peter draws his sword and cuts off the ear of one of the people who appeared to arrest Christ. Christ rebuked Peter for this. We must all put our swords back in their sheaths...
Whether we are Americans, looking across the ocean and hearing chants of "Death to America,"
Or if we are gay Anglicans looking across the ocean to the African Bishops and hearing their reviling cries of damnation...
Or if we are African Bishops looking back across the Atlantic to what we think in our understanding is immoral...
Or if we are businessmen who have been defrauded and are looking to the Courts to restore us...
Or if we are involved in the political process and tempted to use lies and deceit to carry the day...
Or if we are angry with a family member for the wrong done to us...
Whoever we are, whatever our conflict, whatever our dispute, however we think we have been wronged or will be wronged, even unto injury and death, let us hear the call of Jesus to Peter, and take it as our own:
"Put your sword in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword."
Instead, we should "walk in love as Christ loved us," remembering the words of Christ "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. For this is the first and great commandment, and the second is like unto it, Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
Amen.
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