Love Your Episcopal Neighbor
As another era of seemingly indefinite political uneasiness descends upon the nation and its churches, progressives should genuinely reckon with our fellow churchgoers who are traditionalists and conservatives.
We live among a tapestry of worldviews, many of which are undoubtedly bigoted and prejudiced. From homophobic and misogynistic refugees to NIMBY white grandmas who shudder when they see homeless people, we are surrounded by people who hold perspectives that contradict progressive principles.
One facile solution for dealing with these people is to ignore them; after all, it’s easier to get along with someone if you don’t know that you disagree with them. They can just be other folks we share Communion with, nothing more.
Of course, that is an unsatisfactory approach. The church must have boundaries. As Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 5, we should “clean out” immorality from our communities in order to live in “sincerity and truth.” The Scriptures are clear: we must be empowered to set the right example if someone has a wrong belief.
But unlike how the prejudiced may disparage the least fortunate, we cannot so condemn those with traditional views that they no longer seek the inclusive parishes of our church. The reach of the progressive vision of the gospel will be constrained if we only preach to those who already agree with us. In fact, I would argue that conservatives’ persistence in remaining with the Episcopal Church through so many bouts of liberal reform is a sign that their hearts are open. It would be a tragedy to lose our conservative neighbors when they have already shown a remarkable willingness to listen and learn.
In many churches, there are disputes about displaying pride symbols, feeding the unhoused, providing assistance to undocumented immigrants, and so on. We have a duty to remain committed to our principles of justice and love, but we must be careful and tamp down the temperature when there is excessive rancor. Let’s remember that we progressives, too, harbor prejudices and assumptions.
For example, we might think that anyone who dislikes the pride flag is a homophobe. I invite you to talk (and listen) to fellow parishioners about why they hold their seemingly regressive views. I suspect that you’ll find that many of their opinions are more nuanced and less radical than you initially thought. Some views and behaviors are more challenging to reconcile. Nonetheless, I believe patience, persistence, and openness are the winning formulas.
All this can feel like a ridiculous task in an era marked by lack of empathy and outrage culture. Yet to embrace sinners and work judiciously to bring them into our beloved community is precisely the mission Christ gave us: to “love [our] enemies and pray for those who persecute [us]” (Matt. 5:44). The temptation to charge ahead and wholly ignore traditionalist viewpoints may offer the illusion of progress, but it is a shallow solution that I believe will separate many people from God and his loving vision for our world.
William Chen
Sacramento, California
Defending Bishop Vilatte
The bishop who is successor to Bishop Vilatte has brought “An Episcopus Vagans Who Never Stopped Wandering” [TLC, Jan. 12] to my attention. In his words, “The author continues the character assassination work done by the second Episcopal bishop of Fond du Lac, Charles Grafton, in the power struggle that followed the consecration of Mgr. Vilatte in 1892. Before that, Mgr. Vilatte was described as “a model priest and pastor” (Church Scholiast, 1887).
The church body which Bishop Vilatte once served, and that Bishop Serge A. Thériault now serves, is a member in good standing of the International Council of Community Churches, which communion is a member in good standing of the National Council of Churches (USA). I can only imagine the response if an article with similar tone and content regarding an Episcopal bishop were to be published in the annals of another church body.
One would think that a publication that normally is so responsible and restrained would not have included this sort of attack on a long-dead churchman. The inclusion of such an article smacks of the sort of prideful triumphalism that has long since been abandoned by responsible church bodies. I can only ask: What would Jesus say?
The Rev. Donald H. Ashmall
Council Minister Emeritus
International Council of Community Churches
Gouldsboro, Maine
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