Presiding Bishop calls off litigation, disciplinary actions?

from Stand Firm by Timothy Fountain 

We were all fried by the end of General Convention, and missed this big news from the sermon at the closing ceremonies.  Fortunately, SF reader maineiac was paying attention when the Presiding Bishop said,

It will take many more Conventions before we all agree about anything, but, you know what? IT DOESN’T MATTER! We won’t all agree before the Second Coming, but there is only one essential rule – “love one another,” says Jesus, “as I have loved you.” That is the one and only rule of life together in Christ. It is the same one that Augustine of Hippo cited: “love God and do as you please.” Martin Luther’s version was, “sin boldly… and more boldly still rejoice in Christ.”

Our task is not to timidly take comfort in the details of our nice behavior – not even in impeccable parliamentary procedure! Life in Christ is risky, it’s about leaping into the uncertain choices before us, like Indiana Jones on that light bridge – stepping out over the chasm without knowing if the bridge will be there until we do. Way down in the depths, deep down, the body of Christ has an abiding memory of the trustworthiness of that bridge, even if some of the individual members don’t remember quite so well.

Such proclamation of love overcoming law can only mean the reinstatement and welcoming back of hundreds of deposed clergy, whole dissenting dioceses and congregations, and the return of properties taken from them by litigation.  Because their disagreement and refusal to “timidly take comfort” in General Convention actions is “bold sin” and “stepping out over the chasm,” and so deserves a response of love, the “one and only rule of life together in Christ.”

I mean, that’s what she’s saying, right?  Otherwise, TEC’s metropolitan hierarchy of global and interplanetary communion would be sayin’ dis and doin’ dat.  And dat ain’t so good.

But then Jesus (I’m looking for a link so that many of the struggling GC 77 deputies might look up some information on this seldom quoted figure from church history) said that “love” is easy when it is the general affinity of very similar folks.  Way easier to preach “love” when you’ve rid the building of anybody who isn’t like you.