The Rt. Rev. Mauricio de Andrade, primate of Brazil reflects on the Communion, Lambeth and those threatening a boycott.
Which path will we walk?
Who will hear us?
How will we bear witness?
These days I wonder which path we will walk. At the last meeting of Anglican primates, in Tanzania, 12 primates besides me were participating at the gathering for the first time. It was an experience of patience and hope: patience, because nothing happens when we want it to and, hope, because the new primates, including one woman, indicated the possibility of taking new paths.
The primate discusses his attempts at reconciliation with Bishop Venables of the Southern Cone around the difficulties in the Diocese of Recife and Bishop Venables’ public agreement to work on reconciliation along with continued actions that are counter to Venable’s statements. Archbishop de Andrade recommends using Lent as a time for conversion to God in all our actions:
This is the season of Lent, a time for seeking conversion to God in all our actions; it is a time for prayer and meditation and a time for forgiveness and reconciliation.
I think we need to take a hard look in the mirror and see what we are doing with the Anglican Communion; I think it is time to remember that we are a “communion” and not simply a “federation” of churches and that, therefore, we do not need a “pact.” What we do need is to deepen the communion beyond the search for power, domination, and control.
Who will hear us? Who can hear the message we have to proclaim, which some want to envelop in the concept of “orthodoxy,” when it is in fact the message of God through Jesus Christ, whose love reconciles us with life, and life in abundance? Our words have been words of division. Yet, in Brazil we sing: “The Word was not made to divide anyone; the Word is the bridge over which love comes and goes. The Word was not made to dominate; the destination of the Word is dialogue.” Who will hear the archbishops/primates, bishops, and priests of the Church?
Read it all at the Anglican Communion news site here.