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On Recent Ecumenical Developments, Institutional Exclusivity And Today's Gospel.Ordinary Sunday 26: 1st October, 2000.But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him; for no one who does a mighty work in my name will be able soon after to speak evil of me. For he that is not against us is for us." Mk 9:39-40. The readings today lead us in some very interesting directions relating to institutional exclusivity and boundary walls. If we are looking for clues as to the theme for the day, very often the Old Testament will assist, since it is always chosen in this lectionary to throw added light on at least one aspect of the gospel reading for the day. Today we have the incident as recorded in St Mark when the disciples are concerned about someone not of their immediate group working in the name of Christ to achieve good results. They warned him off, "because he was not following us". In the first lesson, we have two of the elders arousing the fears of some because they were not doing the things of God in the right place or at the right time. Joshua, who had served Moses since his youth, would have stopped them if he had been able. John, speaking for the other disciples told how they had done their best to put a stop to things. In each case, wiser counsel prevailed. Both Joshua and John had failed to understand that the grace of God was not to be limited to just a few authorised people any more than the power of God was to be limited just to a particular geographical space. The one is no less absurd than the other. Throughout the history of the Church, this issue has been a tension point. The developing institution, especially with the assistance of the power of the State behind it, was very much inclined to prescribe and proscribe: to define with care what was possible and required and to cast out those who would not comply. Equally the various reformers and renewers in every generation very often also brought with them the assurance of being absolutely on the right path. Others of different views were being sold short, were missing out. In every age there have been sects and small groups very clear about their own salvation and equally clear about the destination of those who did not agree with them. The gospel today challenges this approach directly. Acts of simple faith and service will have their reward. More importantly still, the active awareness of our own limitations is required. That has already been acknowledged to be difficult. (We remember the observation about it being easier to see the speck in our neighbour's eye than the log in our own). But the last verses of the gospel today are a growing list of suggested metaphorical amputations - hands, feet, eyes - very grim and direct in language. It is better to utterly remove some impeding things from our lives than to somehow think that it does not really matter. If it is causing you to stumble, to fall over, to sin or if by this you are the cause of this in another, then this is of the greatest seriousness. The Lord's specific starting off point related to his consideration for 'these little ones'. The two we have had drawn to our attention here were the man casting out demons in the name of the Lord, but not part of the Twelve, and the other doing so little as to offer a cup of water to them, because they bear the name of Christ. Do not be the cause of them stumbling or losing their desire to do these things, because of your exclusive attitude, says the Lord. What can a hand do that is so terrible? A foot, an eye? It really does not require much imagination to get going on this theme. We can speak of individual hands or the hands of whole communities. But we need not confine our thoughts to particular acts of violence or abuse, or a particular signature on a document say ordering the destruction of a village or a city. Hands raised in agreement with policies of repression and discrimination or not raised in protest are hands that are here under condemnation. Feet can walk away from things that are too confronting and too hard. Eyes can be closed, averted or glazed over. We can see only that which we want to see. So our general confession so wisely speaks of things done and things left undone. The question at issue here is this: by our behaviour and attitude, by our manner of living and our articulation of what we claim to believe, are we getting closer to God or further apart. Are we in these things the cause of others coming closer to God or going further away? Are we an obstacle, a cause for stumbling? The Lord says in this gospel today that we should attempt to work out just what it is that is the problem, and then put it aside. There are examples and illustrations of this in the Old Testament where time and time again when whole communities had gone off the rails in matters of belief or practice or behaviour, they are called back. Much of St Paul's correspondence to his scattered churches around Greece and Asia Minor had similar content. Today's lessons underline just how hard the discernment process is in all this. There can be no doubt whatever about the track record or the good intentions of both Joshua in the Numbers reading or of the apostle John in Mark. They were on side. They had followed faithfully and served well. But in this demand for seeking to hold tight in an inner circle of authority and discipline their attitude was rejected. The ways and purposes of God are bigger than such restrictions. God cannot be contained in that way. The grace and gift of God cannot be constrained in that way. To attempt to do so is to be the cause of scandal. How hard that would have been to hear. How difficult it is inside any institution in every succeeding generation to work out what that might mean now. Very hard. Do we in fact have a very interesting possible example of this to consider right at this time? I speak of things ecumenical. Next Saturday, our Institute of Spiritual Studies is sponsoring a seminar on the state of the dialogue between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. Two of the panellists are on the ARCIC international commission. In addition, two of the other participants are members of the official Australian national dialogue. The timing is fairly remarkable. In a moment of generosity, the title has been set as "Two steps forward. One step back" I'm not sure if there is a question mark in there or not. We were not to know in the planning of this that the recent Vatican Decrees which have been the subject of so much controversy and offence in the ecumenical world, would be released just in the last month. These matters will of course have to be addressed. If you have no idea of what is being referred to here, then there is a good opportunity to change that next Saturday. It would seem that in a parish of this tradition, there would be many people here who would wish to be better informed as to the implications. We are most fortunate in this timing. Are we dealing just with a disaster in public relations? With some heavy handed translating without as much sensitivity as desirable to the nuances of language so carefully worked at over the last generation since Vatican II? Or are we facing a definite and decisive return to some older defensive positions? It would be well worth doing our best to come along to find out some more, including hearing the considered reflections of those who are in a position internationally to play a key part in any response from this part of the world. But it is almost impossible not to draw attention to the teaching of the gospel for today in our consideration of this issue. Here I too as a member since its inauguration eight years ago of the Australian Dialogue should speak with care. For I certainly do care about the state of relations between our two churches. For good or ill, there has been a wave of negative response around the world. There are also claims of misinterpretation, of too great sensitivity, of naïve unreality. The waves have not yet settled down. It has to be openly acknowledged that the Anglican world has not been averse to dropping the odd rock into the pond of ecumenical relations over the years. But the contribution from Rome in the last month, relating as it does particularly to the most fundamental questions of authority to speak and act as Church, as fellow Christian, is indeed significant. John said to Jesus, 'Master, we saw a man who is not one of us casting out devils in your name; and because he was not one of us we tried to stop him'. But Jesus said, 'You must not....' Mk 9:38. |
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