Village Shepherd

There is a lot of angst in the Anglican Church at the moment. The Episcopal Church in America has ordained an openly gay bishop while the rest of the world throws up its hands in horror, and the Church of England is about to reopen the agonies over the ordination of women by debating whether or not to allow women to become bishops.

There have been reports ad nauseam suggesting the best way forward in both these situations, while the media in England screams "Split in the Church!" at every possible opportunity. In every report there is a great deal of theology, but none of the theology seems to make the situation any clearer. As fast as one erudite theologian points out biblical texts and meanings to support one course of action, so another erudite theologian finds texts and meanings to support entirely the opposite course of action.

None of the working parties which are set up to investigate the issues come to any real agreement, unless it's an agreement which is so fudged or bland that no-one could disagree with it. But there are always members of the working party who remain firmly on one side of the issue and others who remain firmly on the other side of the issue. We seem to be at an impasse where everyone is certain that they are following God's law in their own particular stance and that the opposition are flouting God's law.

Being human we all have different ideas about a great variety of issues and we're all pretty sure that we are right. In the world at large, we debate and discuss the various issues and eventually sufficient people are convinced by one of the arguments to opt for that side and so by democratic means we solve our differences.

Difficulties arise when a minority feel extremely strongly about an issue, are convinced that they are right no matter what the majority think, and feel that their own arguments are being ignored. Then there is usually some form of civil protest, often rallies, marches and some very loud voices. Then the issue might settle or the minority might go on raising public awareness and mustering public opinion until the minority becomes the majority and the result is reversed. It has to be said that this doesn't happen very often.

But in the church, things are different because everyone claims to have God on their side. In effect, this means that the church moves much more slowly than the world outside and certain things which are considered to be so detrimental to human beings that they are illegal outside the church, are institutionalised within the church and enshrined within church law.

For instance, equality of all human beings is held to be a human right - except within the church, where it is not only OK to discriminate against gay people and women, but is also held to be a highly moral position which upholds both God's law and church tradition.

Jesus made it clear that it's our innermost being which matters, not our outward show of piety. He told a story about two men praying in the temple where one of them was certain of his own goodness and made sure that God and everyone else knew about it too. But the other man was aware of his own spiritual poverty and refused to lift up his eyes but humbly begged God for forgiveness. It was, of course, this man who was justified before God, not the other (Luke 18:10-14).

Jesus also told his disciples that we human beings are defiled by what comes out of our inner being. It doesn't matter what our outward appearance; it's the inside which counts (Mark 15:11, 18).

All this means that it's important to really know ourselves. If we hold strong beliefs on one or other side of current debates, we need to look at our own inner being to discover where those beliefs arise. It isn't sufficient to claim that God is on our side. God might be on our side, or we might be making a huge mistake.

None of this is new. Throughout the pages of the Old Testament we read of differences of opinion, different strands of religious thought. Just as we do today, everyone thought they were right. Everyone thought they had God on their side. Only God was aware of what was going on deep inside people and in today's passage from Isaiah it's clear that God didn't like what he saw.

It's clear that the religious leaders were doing all that religious law required of them. They were probably fervent in their burnt offerings and their sacrifices and their prayers, but God didn't want any of that. " I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats," said God. And God goes on to utter those chilling words, "even though you make many prayers, I will not listen."

Then God tells them what he's looking for. It's something which comes out of inner being and which is the natural result of the right relationship with God. God says, "Learn to do good; seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow."

Religion which cares nothing for the oppressed but seeks to oppress them further and enshrine that oppression within religious law, is no religion at all. Religion which not only puts up with injustice but which seeks to enshrine that injustice within religious law, is no religion at all.

We need to know ourselves and to know why and how our own particular religious beliefs arise. Then we will really know whether our religion is all outward show, or whether it comes from the heart. And then we will know whether or not God listens to our prayers.