Lambeth Conference

An excerpt form Bishop Robinson's Blog:
"I began Thursday morning in prayer with the Franciscans, and continue to feel blessed by their hospitality and their witness. It's a good thing I began that way, because what next befell me was one of the agonies.


Since arriving in Canterbury, I had not yet visited the Cathedral. I went nowhere near the place on Sunday's opening service. The ever-anxious leadership had provided the Cathedral security guards with a large photo of me, posted at the security checkpoints, presumably to keep me from "crashing the gates" of the opening service. No one believed that I would be true to my promise to the Archbishop not to attend.


On Thursday, knowing that the conference attendees would leave early in the morning for London -- for the MDG walk, lunch at Lambeth Palace, and tea with the Queen -- it seemed like a good, low-profile time to make my own pilgrimage to our Mother Church. I told no one of my intentions to attend -- except I had my security person follow the properly courteous protocol of alerting the Cathedral to my visit. I had him also seek permission for a videographer to accompany me on my visit for a documentary to be released sometime in 2010. We were informed that the videographer could NOT accompany me or film me inside the Cathedral. Fair enough. We were told that he could accompany me to the gate onto the Cathedral grounds, and, standing in the public street, could at least film me walking into the Cathedral through the gate's archway.


We contacted Cathedral security to let them know of our imminent arrival, as had been requestd. When we got there, we were met by a gentleman, representing the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, I think. He intercepted me and told me that I could not be filmed walking into the Cathedral (even from the public street outside) after all. The reason he gave took me by surprise, rendering me speechless (an uncommon experience for me!). "We can't have any photographs or film of you entering the Cathedral," he said, "because we want this to be a church for ALL people." Presumably he meant that my being seen walking into the Cathedral would cause others not to want to come.


This was one of those breathtaking moments when you just can't come up with the right thing to say. The rest of the day I thought of all the things I SHOULD have said. Like, "so you mean that I am not included in 'ALL people?!'" Or, "isn't this MY cathedral too?!" Or, "so what am I, chopped liver?!" The moment was so surprising, after having been so forthright in our notification of our visit and going through all the channels to ensure courteousness, I just couldn't come up with anything to say except, "okay," and accede to his wishes.

We were taken to the Cathedral's visitors office, where we were introduced to Theresa, a competent and warm guide who provided me with a wonderful, informative and hospitable tour of the Cathedral. But I simply couldn't shake the feelings engendered by the previous "welcome" a few minutes before.


The Cathedral, of course, has its own voice, and its towering arches, art, altars and promenades tell a wonderful story of Christian witness over the centuries. Three distinct architectural styles attest to its construction over a very long time. Its Augustine's Chair points to the first Archbishop of Canterbury's primacy at a much more precarious time than our own. The ancient nature of this building points to the Church's survivability over time, and I found this particularly moving and comforting, that even through THESE times, God promises to protect the Church such that "even the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."


As for nearly every other pilgrim, I found the altar at which Thomas a Becket was slain particularly moving. Since I had last been there, some thirty years ago, a modern sculpture had been added above the alter. It depicted the sword, used to accomplish this "murder in the cathedral," broken in the act of doing its dirty deed, flanked by two other swords. The three of them together formed a kind of three-cross Golgotha on which our Lord was slain. An already poignant place, made even more powerful by the work of an artist. I knelt to pray there and found it hard to leave. The witness of the saints, standing firm against the powers of this world, continues to inspire.


Young people, from all over the world, staffing their own version of the Stations of the Cross, implored me to come down to their witness in the crypt of the cathedral. True to my experiences with countless young people "on the Fringe" here, they shake their heads and wonder why the Church is tearing itself apart over an issue that is simply not an issue for them. Their comforting words of support mean the world to me, and in that moment, provided the REAL welcome at Canterbury Cathedral I needed."

(From: www.canterburytalesfromthefringe.blogspot.com)




For those of you who don't know, Bishop Robinson was not invited to the Lambeth Conference of Bishops, a once a decade meeting of the Anglican Bishops from across the globe. He has traveled to Canterbury to be in the area and to be a witness for all people who have found themselves marginalized over the two millenia of the Church---people of color, women, people living with disabilities, children, gay and lesbian people etc etc. This excerpt explains an interaction the Bishop had with a staff person at Canterbury Cathedral, presumably sent out by the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral.
The message Jesus gave again and again in the Gospel was that the people on the fringe, the outcast and the "assumed by others to be sinners," were the people in whom the Kingdom of God could be found, alive and well.
God bless Bishop Robinson and the people of New Hampshire, for having the courage to do that which always needs to be done----walk the walk and hold your head high, knowing that you (us, ALL OF US) are loved by the Creator God. Yes, God loves the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops who feel hate and terror, Bishop Robinson and everyone people don't like, don't understand, don't value and don't want to consider. Everyone.
Thanks for listening to me vent. For 40+ years I did not think I could pursue my dream and deeply held desire to be a priest in the church. Because of thousands of people who had the courage to say no to exclusion, I will, God willing, be made a priest in this broken church which is trying to forge its way through this broken world. By alerting you to +Gene Robinson's words, I am saying, thank you.

Cathy
Other really interesting blogs from Lambeth include:
www.ourlettersfromlambeth.blogspot.com (The Maine Bishops write reflections each day)
Episcopal Life online also offers a variety of views from Lambeth www.episcopalchurch.org/episcopal_life.htm