Oh dear. Oh very far too dear.
I entered today’s meeting of the Council for Christian Unity this morning, scarred already by the Makin Report (read over two unhappy days). Knowing in my bones that our Archbishop Justin would need to offer resignation. It was the best thing and the only thing that he could still do for our spiritually stunted Church at such a time of horror.
I didn’t want to see him go. There is far too much self-righteous glee… such ‘cancel culture’ mentality… around in far too many quarters. It’s also far too easy to throw blame for toxic culture onto those who represent it. They sacrifice, and then the rest of us find it easier to relax. Not to repent. So weak. So blatantly unchristian.
I left the CCU meeting head in hand. We’d shared fresh prayers from a well of family sadness, in the company of kind, sensitive, ecumenical partners: for the victims of abuse, and the ignorance of those who tired to keep it quiet for whatever unworthy mix of old or limping reasons.
We all know that the truth will always soon be shouted from the housetops. We have lost an archbishop who was trying to unravel things, and has rightly done the only thing he still had left to help. A bit.
May God hold our feet to the fire long enough for it to change what we do with our feet, and with the power of our lives. May God hold this sorry mirror to our eyes who are still a part of such a lazy, self-referent, unchrist-like culture that has been coasting on its witless, faded glory for far too long, and could continue doing so unless we change.
Lisa Battye blogs 