Fr. Dale Matson
Much has already been
said about presiding Bishop Katharine Schori’s sermon of 12 May 2013 where she
attacked St. Paul and called that which is evil beautiful and holy. “Paul can’t
abide something he won’t see as beautiful or holy”. Her inscrutable exegesis of
the lectionary epistle reading from Acts 16:16-34 is at variance with
commentaries and church tradition. http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/05/13/presiding-bishop-preaches-in-curacao-diocese-of-venezuela/
I have read the sermon
several times in an effort to understand it.
Some things made sense. As someone who has written sermons, I try
to tie in the readings with the events of contemporary life also. How does
Scripture address the problems of this age? In her sermon she made the
following statement, “Human beings have a long history of discounting and devaluing difference, finding it
offensive or even evil. That kind of
blindness is what leads to oppression, slavery, and often, war. Yet there remains a holier impulse in human
life toward freedom, dignity, and the full
flourishing of those who have been kept apart or on the margins of human
communities.
I happen to agree with
her statement and believe God has a special place in His heart for those she
has described. I am not certain what she means by “full flourishing” but I
suspect she would say providing an environment that would offer the opportunity
for self-actualization or self-discovery. It would be providing an environment
where all humans could thrive. Can we eliminate poverty? I doubt it since Jesus
(quoting Deuteronomy) stated, “The poor you will always have with you.” (Matthew
26:11a) That is not an excuse to turn our backs on the poor but it is a
statement of fact.
My problem with her
statement on “devaluing difference” and blindness leading to oppression is that
she is not inclusive enough. She would
like to be an advocate for those who are at the margins of society, the
underrepresented and the victimized. She
sees the love of God embracing all of creation. She opposes St. Paul and would
like to give equal weight to the words of a girl in slavery to men and a demon.
Even those possessed by familiar spirits need to be heard. Paul did not want to
hear the demon. He wanted to free the girl.
There are many however, that
are not included in the diverse world of TEC. Those who don’t agree are labeled
bigots and homophobes and haters. But there is another group missing from the
big tent.
How about unborn
children? Don’t they get a hearing also? Don’t they fall under God’s loving
embrace? How is an unborn child able to
flourish if he/she is aborted? "Before
I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I
appointed you as a prophet to the nations." (Jeremiah 1:5) If you want
this to be about the disenfranchised then start at the bottom. If you want to
be inclusive then think of them also. If you want to be diverse then think of
them. If you want to think of innocent victims then think of them. This is a
social justice and human rights issue of immeasurable proportions. What about
them?
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