There was a programme (“The Battle of the Bishops”) on the BBC last night on the GAFCON/Lambeth Conference situation which is well worth watching. If you are quick, you can catch it on the iplayer here.
The genius of the piece was pointing a camera at Peter Akinola and letting him rant. He made Tom Wright, who last week compared the consecration of +Gene to the invasion of Iraq, look like the voice of reason. An extraordinary achievement.
For the first time in my life I’ve found myself seriously wondering if I’ve been on the wrong side all along – if the values of the secular world aren’t in fact better and kinder and more decent than those of Christianity. It isn’t a pleasant or easy feeling!
I’m all in favour of atheists and secularists holding up a moral light to the church.
That said, I actually feel equally Episcopalian and Christian at the moment. I never used to be so attached (“just Christian”) – but experience has led me to the SEC and suddenly it is home…
> Oh, and didn’t we Scots start the Communion in the first place by consecrating Seabury?
Undoubtedly we did! And I do have to confess to wondering if my feelings would be a bit different if it were called “The Scotican Communion” . . .
As for the Gambia, I’m interested to hear of your experience there. My father spent some years in Sierra Leone and had a lasting affection for West Africa and its people. I have to admit that my own experience of the world is confined to Europe and North America, which perhaps skews my thinking.