| Easter, the heart of our faith, represents the joy of
new life after the struggle with the old life; it
signifies the victory of light over darkness, of joy over
sorrow. This victory, this joy, is not lightly one. It
comes through Jesus sufferings and death on the cross.
Those who look for quick and easy victories and joys do
not know the way of Christ his followers are called to
follow.
In February this year the Primates of the Anglican
Communion, that is the Archbishops who head national
churches, met for a week in Northern Ireland to come to a
better understanding of those matters dividing them.
There are in very rough terms three main groups: those
who tend to be conservative and dogmatic insisting on
understandings that recently dominated the churches;
those looking forward to new ways, new understandings and
those waiting on God's guidance for the next steps.
Together the primates all agreed a communiqué which as I
read it is a very fine document, full of charity, respect
and waiting on God's guidance.
Before and during the meeting the archbishop of Canterbury
gave two important addresses. One was to the General
Synod of the Church of England in which he said that one
cannot separate unity and truth. We discover truth as
with others, with whom we may disagree, take time to
attend to our differences, wait on God and together seek
a new way forward. In the second address given at
evensong in Armagh Cathedral he pleaded with his fellow
archbishops not to seek to quick a solution. The deeper
way lies in the way that is costly in time, in thought
and in prayer.
The archbishop's advice has, I believe, been taken in the
final communiqué. Alas, already some archbishops are
interpreting that communiqué as closing positions that
it seems to me the communiqué deliberately left open.
There were bishops present who rather than being guided
totally be the prayer and conversations taking place
among the primates were in mobile telephone communication
with wealthy American Conservative Bishops who, from
outside the gathering, influenced their saying and doing.
If there is to be a good outcome, a renewed communion and
member churches it will be costly in time, prayer and
thought. Let us all pray for all the churches of the
Anglican Communion that they may take this truer path.
Let us pray for Archbishop Rowan who is facing such a
very difficult situation. Let us pray for the new life
that is God's gift at Easter and so throughout our lives.
Christopher Morgan – Jones
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