Dancing and Grieving

While some of us who know ourselves as United Methodists are dancing in the street and others have put on sack cloth and ashes, there has never been a more troubling time for this United Methodist pastor ordained back in 1971.  I have been through many a battle in the local church and I have remembrances of one particular Annual Conference which seemed more like a blood bath than a love feast, but I do not recall any moment which has caused such rancor and division within our church.   

The sweeping changes passed this past week at the General Conference in Charlotte, N. C. set the stage for the jubilation and the grief experienced by so many in the last few days.   It seems inevitable that there will be a permanent division between people who have belonged to the same spiritual community for so long, but find themselves no longer able to do so.  Of course, the division has been going on for a long time.  It was not precipitated by the General Conference, but in a sense culminated by it.  Nonetheless, it is a sad moment which surely does not bring pleasure to the heart of Christ.    

Going forward out of loss and brokenness is never easy and as long as both groups see the other as the sinner in the room, there will be no healing.  The way forward out of the animosity is in letting go.  We need to graciously let go of people who believe going a different way is the right way.  There is nothing gained by hoping failure will fall upon their heads and everything to be gained by praying that God will find a way to do His Kingdom work through our common brokenness and grief.  Jesus' command to "love one another..."  (John 13:34) is really the only way for those who dance and those who grieve to touch one another again with respect and compassion.