It Wasn't My Fault!

Sometimes it is just easier to not say or do anything. As I think I have stated before, I have the privilege of chairing the Faith and Order Commission of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches (RISCC). This Commission is perfect for me. We sit, think, write, think, erase, think some more, and maybe write something else. The Commission is purposely not meant to be a controversial group but instead one that looks to draft theological statements which speak to a broad swath of Christianity while at the same time maintaining theological depth and integrity, hence the abundance of thinking and little bit of writing. I thought this would be a great way to be involved with Rhode Island Christians while at the same time avoiding trouble and controversy.

I guess I was wrong.

I didn’t get into any trouble (well, I didn’t have to spend the night in jail), but I have been pulled into a very real debate facing many churches and denominations in RI concerning same-sex marriage. Here is what happened (cue dream sequence fade and harp music):

The RISCC governing board was going to discuss the pros and cons of openly supporting a same-sex marriage law. I was planning on attending this meeting, but because of family responsibilities (pick up child, drive child, drop off child – pick up child, drive child, drop off child – etc.) I was not able to attend. I wanted to make sure my thoughts and the thoughts of the Commission were a part of this conversation so I sent a letter (see the following blog post) to the President and the Executive Director as well as members of the Faith and Order Commission stating our feelings concerning this topic.

The next thing I know is I am getting e-mails from people thanking me for my thoughts, wisdom, and conviction. What? Since when did people look to me for wisdom? When I suggested making a big red gorilla the “mascot” for Pentecost (like the Easter Bunny and Santa Clause) nobody celebrated my wisdom. Am I finally maturing and growing up? Probably not.

What I did not know was that someone wrote an article for the Providence Journal (this is only a synopsis of the article, the Projo does not allow online access to many of its full articles) about the RISCC discussion and used parts of my letter to share the voice of those who are against endorsing same-sex marriage. Hence all of the e-mails and now it feels like I have become a champion for the conservatives. Weird, right?

As you can see I tried to be very careful and not state my personal feelings concerning the issue of same-sex marriage. The newspaper article did not paint me in any theological camp (or at least I do not think so, but reading is always subjective). Yet I worry that I have been pushed to one side or another which is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

Maybe, instead of worrying that I have been pushed into one camp around this issue I should worry that I have not placed myself on one side or the other. As I was writing my response from the Faith and Order Commission in the back of my mind I was thinking about Martin Luther King Jr.’s Letter from aBirmingham Jail where he directly addresses white clergy who pleaded with King to hold off with the civil rights movement and not cause a scene. They called his actions “unwise and untimely.” His response is indicting: “This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.’”

Both sides of the same-sex marriage issue seem to be saying that we need to draw the line, that this issue is too important to stay silent and here I am urging a wussy, “please don’t create a scene stance.” That is what I hope for with the church I serve, with the American Baptist denomination, and with the RISCC. Yet at what cost?

For the sake of some kind of unity in the body of Christ I stand behind what I have written, but I have to say that I could be wrong. I can’t say with 100% certainty that it is better for the RISCC to not speak out either way about a same-sex marriage law; it is where I am right now.

Now I’m going to slink away before someone calls me a coward.