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A Poignant Dispatch from Gene Robinson at Lambeth

By: Paul Raushenbush

Wednesday July 30, 2008

Categories: Homosexuality, Mainline Protestants

Rev. Gene Robinson, the gay Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire, was pointedly not to attend Lambeth Conference. But he has been there and posted this poignant dispatch on his blog.

 

Since arriving in Canterbury, I had not yet visited the Cathedral. I went nowhere near the place on Sunday's opening service. The ever-anxious leadership had provided the Cathedral security guards with a large photo of me, posted at the security checkpoints, presumably to keep me from "crashing the gates" of the opening service. No one believed that I would be true to my promise to the Archbishop not to attend.

 

On Thursday, knowing that the conference attendees would leave early in the morning for London -- for the MDG walk, lunch at Lambeth Palace, and tea with the Queen -- it seemed like a good, low-profile time to make my own pilgrimage to our Mother Church. I told no one of my intentions to attend -- except I had my security person follow the properly courteous protocol of alerting the Cathedral to my visit. I had him also seek permission for a videographer to accompany me on my visit for a documentary to be released sometime in 2010. We were informed that the videographer could NOT accompany me or film me inside the Cathedral. Fair enough. We were told that he could accompany me to the gate onto the Cathedral grounds, and, standing in the public street, could at least film me walking into the Cathedral through the gate's archway.

 

We contacted Cathedral security to let them know of our imminent arrival, as had been requestd. When we got there, we were met by a gentleman, representing the Dean and Chapter of the Cathedral, I think. He intercepted me and told me that I could not be filmed walking into the Cathedral (even from the public street outside) after all. The reason he gave took me by surprise, rendering me speechless (an uncommon experience for me!). "We can't have any photographs or film of you entering the Cathedral," he said, "because we want this to be a church for ALL people." Presumably he meant that my being seen walking into the Cathedral would cause others not to want to come.

 

 

Comments (20)
Filed Under: anglican, episcopal, gene robinson, homosexuality
posted by Paul Raushenbush @ 7:12pm Permalink email icon Email This arrow Add to »
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Comments
drrogeringram
August 3, 2008 2:26 PM

Dear Gene,
Thanks for trying, thanks for being caring of others, thanks for being diplomatic with a church in crisis. It is the modern delimma: how to reconcile our world cultures, developed through human interaction often in a geographically bounded area , with a faith in something more than our geography and culture, something of spiritual connection to God.
I won't let go of my faith that connects all of us and I won't let go of my belief that I am equally loved by God as anyone else.

May the peace of the Lord be with you, and with all of us.

Sincerely, Dr. Roger Ingram

Reaganite in NYC
August 3, 2008 7:15 PM

drrogeringram: "thanks [Bishop Robinson] for being diplomatic with a church in crisis."

That's a laugh! Bishop Gene Robinson is the very reason why this particular denomination (Anglican) is in trouble. All that his self-indulgence serves to do is provoke outrage and disunity.

Dana Parris
August 3, 2008 7:53 PM

I am so thankful that my Father has allowed me to attend and worship in a church that beleives, God loves all of us. "Whosoever", walks into our doors feels the love we have for our Lord and each other.

One of the reasons the Jews were so angry with Jesus is that he was kind and showed love for the Gentiles.(an unclean people)

I know that if Jesus would walk into our church he would not be told to leave. We welcome all and love all.....race, age, finances, clothing, or sexual orientation is left outside.

I pray one day we will all love as Jesus loved!! He died for all of us!!

Dana Parris

max b. justice
August 4, 2008 10:24 AM

We are commanded to love one another. THAT means no matter what a person has done we are still to love them. Sometimes it is very hard to do this but we are supposed to love and forgive. If no one lets this homosexual in the church, how will he hear the gospel? Same sex marrage will never be legal in Gods eyes, it is meant to be between a man and a woman so they can be fruitful and multiply. It is ok to hate the sin, but not the person!!!!

Big Ben
September 21, 2008 11:24 PM

Glad you had a neat little trip to the one place you were asked not to go, Gene. As a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church (30 years) I had always felt as though I could trust the Clergy to help me with the tough decisions I had to face in my life. Your little foray into the forbidden clearly isn't the type of sound judgment I would desire to guide me in my troubled times. I have nothing against gays. My problem is with politicians in vestments. It continues to astound me how you put your own interests ahead of those of the fledgling Anglican Communion as a whole. You are no freedom fighter. You are no equal rights activist. You're not even a "community organizer". You are a selfish, guilty man who is trying to make up for a past that he can not rectify by trying to destroy the future of something that others love.

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Diana Butler Bass and Paul Raushenbush both stand firmly within the Mainline Protestant tradition and, along with guest bloggers of all religious backgrounds are dedicated to the revival of religious progressivism and its influence in American politics.

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Diana Butler Bass
Diana Butler Bass is a commentator and scholar in American religion. She is the author of seven books including A People's History of Christianity: The Other Side of the Story (HarperOne, 2009).
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Moderator of the Progressive Revival blog and the Associate Dean of Religious Life at Princeton University.
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