From Heights to Depths to the Place In-between

I cannot say for certain, but I suspect today may have been typical of many days to come here at Convention.  I began ascending Mt. Sinai, but then I found myself wandering in the Valley of the Shadow of Death.  Finally I rested on the shores of Galilee with my friends.

This morning the entire convention gathered for our first eucharist: bishops, deputies, visitors; Anglos, Latinos, Africans, Europeans; northerners, easterners, southerners, westerners; speaking English, Spanish, French.  An oversized altar atop a platform, presided over by the Presiding Bishop, was the focus in front of a backdrop of a Utah landscape presided over by a large cross.  The gospel story (Luke 1:57-80) included Zechariah’s prophecy about his son, John the Baptist: “You will go before the Lord to prepare his ways.” Bishop Jefferts Schori  urged us “to be the road crew.” The service continued with songs and prayers sung and prayed by more than a thousand people.  As powerful as that was, there were also moments of silence kept by thousands of people.  I felt atop a holy mountain.

But then there was the descent.  It is not easy to actually “build the road,” I quickly realized as I began to observe the work of two committees.  One was fretting over the placement of the word “any” to insure the most clarity in a particular canon.  A second committee was listening to testimony regarding resolutions regarding what the response of The Episcopal Church should be to the presence of Israel in land claimed by Palestine.  Many first-hand stories of the real hardships faced by individuals there made my own feelings about the situation clouded.  Pleas for continued attempts at reconciliation and for patience were met by cries of frustration and anger and calls for more punitive responses in hopes of achieving justice.

Left a bit bewildered, I eagerly anticipated joining the deputation in the Juniper Room at the end of the day.  Over crackers, cheese, and water, we shared our stories of the day.  Bishops, clergy, laity and some other visitors from Connecticut joined us.  There were some tales of woe, some tales of victory, some tales of insight.  This was a time of some commiseration, some laughter, and some sharing of joy. I felt reassured and restored.  It was all going to be all right.  Jesus was among us in our relationships as we rested on the shores of Galilee.