“All God’s Children” is the title of the feature story appearing on the Internet home page of the Episcopal Church of the United States. If you delve deeper into its homepage and review the Church’s newswire, The Episcopal News Service, for 4 November 2003, you find featured stories celebrating the consecration of the Church’s first, openly gay, homosexual Bishop. What do these stories tell us about the meaning of “All God’s Children” and the state of the Episcopal Church in America?
In spite of the fact that I have not been a devout Christian, as a deeply spiritual person, who derives his faith from Christian teachings, I would like to offer my thoughts. Let me start by saying I believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has somehow lost its way by confusing the fact that though we are all God’s children, we are not all in a state of grace with our God. There is a difference and that difference provides the definition between that which can be tolerated by society and what can be accepted by followers of the Church and those who wish to join together in celebration of their striving for grace with God through communion. The Church is not obligated to accept what a secular society will accept and if it were there would be no need for the Church.
There is no doubt we are all God’s children. God is life and God celebrates life through procreation. We, all human beings, are part of that plan. His plan for procreation and the celebration of life lies in the union and bonding of man and woman. There is no other natural way consistent with God’s plan for life. Each of us came into this world as the result, whether in a state of grace or not, of the union between a man and a woman. As a product of that procreative act, as children of God, we are not responsible for the state of grace of those that brought us forth. We are however, responsible for our own state of grace with God.
What is a state of grace with God? I believe a state of grace with God is the recognition of our humanity and the use of the special gift of consciousness that God gave us, and that separates us from common beasts, to worship God through our love for God, each other and our personal striving to abide the laws of God. It is not enough to love God and each other and acknowledge the laws of God to be in a state of grace. We must love God, each other and strive to obey the laws of God if we are to remain in a state of grace. Perhaps this is what Islam means by Jihad, or the striving.
What is the Church? I believe the Church is the common place where those who acknowledge their belief in God come to celebrate their love for God, each other, to reaffirm their faith in God’s plan for us and gain the collective strength to continue striving together, helping each other, to maintain a state of grace. It is where we celebrate our joy in being in a state of grace. As such, the Church is a spiritual house where the family, of those who strive to maintain a state of grace, gather to celebrate, in communion, their love for God.
What is sin? Sin is the conscious, willful disobedience of the laws of God. It is sin that separates those that are in a state of grace from those that aren’t in a state of grace with God. Can sinners be part of the Church? Of course they can. But, they are only welcome in the communion of the Church if they renounce their sin, ask God for forgiveness and reaffirm their desire to maintain a state of grace without further sin. Otherwise, they are not part of the Church but a disruptive force that serves only to disrupt the communion.
God’s law includes the laws of nature for it is through nature that God has provided his plan for procreation. And, it is the law of nature that no procreation of human life consistent with God’s plan can be realized other than through the bonding of man and woman.
Who should lead the Church? Should it be those whom we consider the nicest? Should it be those whom we consider the most articulate? Should it be those whom we consider the most welcoming and inclusive? A leader is one who shows the way. The leaders in the Church should be those that provide the best example of the way to attain and live in a state of grace with God. We would hope they are the nicest, most articulate, welcoming and inclusive people but the most important criteria is that they are an example of God’s intent for how our lives should be lived in a state of grace.
I have not been a devout Christian. I have not spent my life studying the teachings of the Church, my God, or Christ. But, as a deeply spiritual person I somehow, firmly believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has lost its way and has confused “All God’s Children” with its responsibility to lead those who believe in a state of grace with God. I believe a Bishop who openly demonstrates contempt for God’s celebration of life through procreation and the laws of nature cannot be in a state of grace with God and can therefore never lead others to a state of grace. To believe otherwise is like saying Satan can lead you to the gates of heaven, but he just can’t get through. That is called subversion and I believe the Episcopal Church of the United States has succumbed to subversion. I am so sorry. But you know what? I think I will rejoin the communion of my fellow believers in the Church. It just won’t be the Episcopal Church of the United States. I guess some good can come from evil. But please, don't give Bishop Robinson credit for saving my soul. I simply want to find comfort in the company of those who share my belief in what it means to be in a state of grace with God. I want to do my part to shield other churches from subversion and further corruption of the Christian faith. One of the greatest movie lines I've ever heard was, "Satan's greatest victory was to convince the world he didn't exist." There is no greater subversive power than that which you refuse to acknowledge.