Further thoughts, November 2019

A year or so on from the schism in our church over the GS 2018 decision to permit blessing of same sex civil marriages or civil unions, I remain convinced that:
- a church schism should not be over a decision whose greatest effect is on a very small minority of church members;
- the GS decision remains, in my view, as close to right as we could expect the body of Christ to get when the body of Christ is of two minds on a matter (and a year on, I continue to marvel at the difference in convictions about the matter, between Anglicans, often worshiping together in the same pew; and I cannot think of another matter in which such sharp difference exists among faithful Anglicans);
- I think Romans 13:8-10 is very important as we weigh these matters up, consistently reviewing our thinking in respect of the overriding law, Love your neighbour as yourself.
And Romans 13:8-10 is not far from Roman 14-15 which is still, in my view, critical to handling the sharpest differences among us.