From Stand Firm:
by Matt Kennedy
Saturday, July 26, 2008 • 9:11 am
Welcome one and all. I do not know if you are weary. I am weary as well and I am looking forward to rest tomorrow. We have a 2pm deadline today because of the bishops’ photo which is scheduled for that time.
Today our theme is Bishops and the Environment. It kicked off last night with Chris Rapley’s splendid talk.
Today we have Bishop George Browning, the Chair of the Anglican Communion Environment Network.
And we have Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Her background is in science so she is well qualified to reflect on the challenge of climate change. She wrote a letter to the Senate in March about this topic and she has been active in the United States perusing this issue both in the church and the government.
We’ll start with Bishop Browning.
Bishop George: I am relieved to be at this point in the conference. This has been the agenda that has been my life since 1998. I am often asked why we are interested in saving the environment and not just saving souls. The care for the environment has always been part of the church’s call. It has been since creation. It is a biblical call and something that we have no option but to take up. This is inherent in our faith.
I am persuaded by the moral argument for environmentalism. If we are to make some progress it must come from moral persuasion, there is no other way to assure change. Laws will not do it. There must be a change of heart. The moral argument has to be persuasive. That is one role of the church. We must lend our weight to it.
I am also interested in the time scale. We have the opportunity now. There are choices we can make now that will not be available at another time and we will pay a price if we do not take advantage of the time we have. I am disappointed to hear some say that economic pressures on oil and other matters are limiting our commitment to climate change. We will pay a price for this later.
I come from Australia and the footprint there per capita is the highest in the world because we are a coal based economy. I think it is so important for us to change the basis of our economy and I work for that in Australia and encourage others to work for the same where they live.
So those are my words of introduction. Since last night and this morning a large number of bishops are pressing for a statement because we need to say something for our communion, we cannot come away without doing that.
KJS: I am the Presiding Bishop in the US, Taiwan, Micronesia, some south American dioceses (I missed her reference) Puerto Rico, Haiti, the Virgin Islands, and some churches in Europe. I say that for no other reason than to point out that we are all interconnected. My context reminds me of that daily. We spoke in our bible study this morning of Creation as the body of God. Creation reflects God and the tradition has a mixed history of affirming that understanding.
If we do not pay attention to the health of creation the other issues that beset the Communion will be of no importance.
Jesus walked the earth. He fed the hungry, healed the sick and announced good news to the poorest among us. Climate change effects all of this issues. It is the poorest who suffer most from climate changes. I can tell you stories of native Americans in Alaska who are losing their homes. I can tell you about the South Pacific where people are being moved because their homes are falling into the sea. We have heard stories of bishops from Sudan who experience desertification because of changes in rainfall patterns. Every part of this communion can tell you a story about this looming disaster that has already begun effects the poorest among us.
Salvation is about healing and wholeness and holiness, these words share a common root. If we do not pay attention to the reflections of the incarnation around us we have not engaged in our Christian duty and I am not just talking about human beings but the creation itself.
Q: With regard to the MDG’s it seems obvious that partnerships between government and industry will be key, how will you work collaboratively with primates from other provinces to advance these goal of climate change?
A: we all have responsibility for advocacy within our own governments. And I expect to see other bishops and primates doing this in their own contexts.
Q Given the need for moral leadership and your compelling words about the right use of creation is there any comments you can make on the uses of sexuality?
A: My sense is that issues of life and death are most significant for attendees of the Conference. Most come from places where people are dying and those issues override the smaller issues that divide the communion
Q: Bishop Browning. Would you say that part of the mission is to engage local communities informally through the use of electronic media?
A: The aim of the Network is to provide resources to do what you are talking about.
Q: There stories about the negative treatment of women at the conference in 1998. Can you comment on the experience of women here and now?
A: I was not there but the stories I heard about a decade ago were of overt name calling and avoidance and extreme Rudeness toward women. I have not heard that this time.
Q: We have the Archbishop of Utrecht here and the leaders of other Communions that are fully inclusive and we have been told that they are full participants in the larger conference. Given that they have had full inclusion without any trouble at all, what does it say that your church is singled out on this issue while two other churches are fully embraced?
A: Yours is an awareness that is not widely shared. The church of Sweden is also fully inclusive and they are here as well.
Q: We seem to be hearing that the church needs to be unified to do its job. Would you consider asking VGR to step down to preserve the unity of the church and for the sake of this mission?
A: That is not in my purview and that would be something between him and the Diocese of New Hampshire. It is not something I would do or something I would expect.
Q: How green is this conference?
Canon Feheley: In my indaba group we decide to ask whether we could have recycling bins brought on campus and we have taken other steps to do what we can to make these conferences as green as they can be.
Bishop Browning: the more pressure we can put on people in this respect the better
KJS: there are some bins on campus; I have heard complaints about paper. The fact that we are walking around a great deal is a good sign. There was a comment about the walk in London and whether something like that might be done locally and broadcast rather than spending the resources to get people there and back.
Q: Our group studies the lies and distortions of the religious right. We’ve noticed how successful the right has been about disinformation both about climate change and also how successful they have been in spreading disinformation about the Episcopal Church. How successful have you been in changing the impressions formed by this misinformation?
A: Personal contact is essential. We are an incarnate faith. Being present is the way to go. Jesus did not use the internet. He met people face to face and they went around and did the same thing. Just meeting people and having conversation can change minds and attitudes.
Integrity Q: I was struck by your words and the idea of Creation as the body of God. Is this concept of Creation and Incarnation playing out in the discussions of human sexuality that are going on.
A: Those are at an early stage and we have not focused on them specifically I think we may see some changes there. The conversations about interconnectability grow out of our Pauline theology of the body of Christ. When one person suffers the whole body suffers. When one person rejoices the whole body rejoices or rejoices. We are all interconnected through the Spirit to the Head who is Christ. Only when the body is working together can it reflect the body of God
Q: There is a press release about a new province in North America allied with GAFCON. Do you have any comments about that?
A: I have not seen the press release.
Q: What do you say those who are suffering the effects of climate change Australia?
I miss this part, the bishop says something about pitting pressure on the Australian government to change from a coal based enconomy.
Q: With the invasions of autonomy being discussed in documents like Windsor Continuation Group Reports, I wonder if you feel that TEC bishops are being heard?
A: It is a conversation. I think TEC bishops were heard as were those from across the communion
Q: What do you think of the commission being proposed dealing with the sexuality issue and the continuation group meetings that have gone on.
A: I have only heard rumors? Nothing concrete so I cannot comment.
end
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