Putting this into tangible and local terms: my parish, St. Hilda’s, left the Diocese of Niagara in 2008 because we could no longer go along with the theological drift of the diocese. As a result, the diocese sued St. Hilda’s and ended up owning our building; the building is now up for sale.
Justin Welby believes that “reconciliation” would entail the individuals from both sides “finding a way to love the person with whom you are dealing, quite probably not agreeing with each other but disagreeing in love.”
Is this achievable? Yes, I think so. Will it make any difference? None whatsoever.
From a practical perspective, St. Hilda’s will not return to the Diocese of Niagara because the theological differences have, if anything, increased not decreased. The Diocese of Niagara and, more broadly, the Anglican Church of Canada, could recognise ANiC as a legitimate expression of Canadian Anglicanism. But then their consciences would nag them to give the buildings back, something which would be an act of God akin to his creating a rock too heavy for him to lift.
So while we may end up “disagreeing in love”, we will do so at a respectable distance, making Welby’s brand of “reconciliation” little more than a damp squib.
It’s always telling when the wrongdoers sue for the buildings. Somehow they always end up selling them. What beats me is that the point cannot be made to any judge, apparently, that, having decided to sell the building, they can hardly have been the legitimate owners that they claimed to be.
The building’s up for sale? Impossible! Why, the Diocese was absolutely adamant that they’d planted a thriving, vital new parish community there! That was the very reason why they fought so hard for that church, and why they won! They couldn’t possibly have lied to everyone, now could they??!
What difference will it make if orthodox Anglicans (say, in the US) and the post-Christian official Anglicans (ECUSA, here) love one another as opposed to hating one another? They will still be totally different kinds of religious people, they won’t have any unity. Some while ago I said, on my blog, that it would be far better if the different groups agreed to part (dissolve the formal links) with a measure of respect (no longer possible now). Pretending their is any unity, or that we are in any way “one” church is at best foolish.
It is never too late for anybody to forgive one another before the Day of Final Judgment.
Forgive? Maybe. Forget, never.
Time is the best healer. As we live longer in this life, we will forgive more and forget more. I hardly remember anything before 1948. I must be getting old.
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4