A Matter of Love and therefore Division

Last updated on: February 24, 2021 at 9:41 am by Anne Kennedy

A Matter of Love and therefore Division 2021-02-24T09:41:18-04:00 Anne Kennedy

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

There’s a lot out there this morning–trying to choose between an embarrassment of riches. I’ve got some goop stuff in the cue, and two or three things from RNS, and that thing about that book being taken off of amazon. Oh! And the NYTimes (which I might break my embargo and read, just this once) contradicting Fauci. But I don’t have a lot of time, and so I’m just going to go with the continuing Anglican troubles because that’s upwards in my mind.

You might remember that a while ago the Bishops of the ACNA released a pastoral statement giving guidance on how they thought sexuality and gender identity issues should be addressed and talked about within the church. It took them a long time to produce this letter, and it was unanimously approved, and then, of course, in the weeks after it came out, there was the usual devolution, the releasing of other letters by dioceses and others to distance themselves from the report. And then, was it Monday? I can’t remember, another person produced a letter called Dear Gay Anglican, in which he (and the signatories underneath) thought they would get around the admonition not to qualify the word “Christian” with “Gay” or “Same-Sex Attracted” by replacing the word “Christian” with “Anglican” and, at the same time, purporting to be obedient to the spirit of the Bishop’s Admonition, claiming that celibacy, or a “biblical sexual ethic” is all that is required, rather than radically, though painfully, unbinding oneself from the thing that threatens to bring one’s head in sorrow to an eternal death.

So anyway, the Dear Gay Anglican letter has been taken down. And the Archbishop of the ACNA has weighed in. And if you want to sign the statement that we got up on Stand Firm yesterday in support of the Bishop’s Pastoral Letter, that would be so lovely.

And I just have one other thing to say. Or maybe two.

First of all, love is the matter that we must each–every single Christian–consider. If you do not believe in a literal hell from which Jesus is your only salvation, you are, of course, free to “love” anyone any which way. You will affirm all the choices of everyone, under the guise of love. This is a vast and terrible mistake, of course, because–and every single human person knows this as we learn from Romans 1 and all kinds of other texts and also a little self-examination–it is possible to be separated from God forever and the only way to be rescued from that terrible fate is by Jesus himself. Christians, therefore, don’t actually have the freedom to “love” people as we so often would wish. We have to love people in the way that God has given us, by his own character and nature. We are bound to Christ as his servants and we have to love as he loved. And his love is often very painful because it strips us down all the way to the spiritual bone, cutting out not only the sin, but the inclination to sin, and all the desires that go with it. So this issue is a matter of love. And thus, it is a matter of division.

Which is my second point. This is a dividing issue for the church. If you don’t accept the church’s historic teaching on sexuality (and hell for that matter, and so many others) you should not call yourself a Christian. In the era of religious pluralism, there are a lot of options out there, but Christianity is not one of them. This is painful, of course, but because it is a matter of love, and of eternity, Christians cannot compromise on this issue. I’m so grateful that the ACNA Bishops–many of whom gave up everything only a decade ago, out of faithfulness to the gospel–are persisting in their clear and kind leadership in this dark time.

We worship a holy and good God who has the power to save us out of our grievous sin. There is no reason to fear the world, but there is every reason to fear him and his justice and wrath against sinners. The amazing thing is that he is not only just, he is also merciful, and so there is a way to be brought back into his light, and that is by repentance–turning around and away from yourself and going towards him–and by full-throated, delighted obedience.

culture watch

faith alone

Anglicanism

Previous Post

February 23, 2021

More Good Listening

Next Post

February 25, 2021 You Only Die Once

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category books Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Children in Conversation culture watch Daily Devotions Demotivations with Anne faith alone for the grandparents GAFCON In conversation with children In the News Kitchen Notes Lambeth Learning Notes Life Going On Men are Human Notes from Home Pictures Reading the Bible Saturday Links Sermons Signs of the Apocalypse The Bad Word Association The Prayer of Jonah Travel Notes Uncategorized Witless Wednesdays Work and the Christian

Select a Month June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I was thrown into a den of these beasts for praying three times daily, but they did not harm me. What creatures were they?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Bears Lions Serpents Wolves

Books by This Author Books by Anne Kennedy

See All Titles »