Bishop's Blog

Bishop’s Letter - January

Friday 6th January 2012 8:43 PM

At the last meeting of the House of Bishops one of my colleagues greeted me with, "Didn't duck fast enough, did you?" I knew what he meant. I had agreed to chair a small group looking into whether the 2005 Bishops' Statement on Civil Partnerships should be revised and, if so, in what way. Looking at the emails I had already received on the subject from campaigning groups of different complexions, I realised that this commission was likely to be a thankless task. I replied to my brother-bishop, "Well, at least I won't have to send so many Christmas cards next year." There's nothing like sex for getting the Church arguing!

This month the campaign to liberalize the UK's end-of-life laws has come to the forefront again, and we can be certain that it will be raised here again. The contrast with the positive message of the 'Light Up a Life' services sponsored by the Hospice and held around the Island during December could not be greater. This is a deeply important debate for the whole of society that is bound to occupy a great deal of time in the coming months and years, and one in which the range of Christian voices must be articulate and heard.

In both of these ethical issues and others, a constant appeal is made to 'my needs', 'my freedom to act' and 'my choice', as if there is an automatic moral imperative always to prioritize 'me'. It doesn't take much thought to realise that my 'needs' (food, clothing, shelter, companionship, for instance) very easily and very often become my 'wants'. It ought to be obvious that, in the words of Donne's poem, "No man is an iland entire of itself", so that, in a free society, my freedom to act is always likely to affect another's freedom. And, as for choice: well, I have to admit, with the benefit of hindsight, I have made a great many bad choices in my life. That's it, of course, with choice: you don't know what the effects will be until after the choice has been made. An appeal to be free to choose is an extremely unreliable basis for ethical judgements.

So, as Adam said to Eve, "We live in times of change, my dear!" Let's not fear a full engagement with the moral issues of 2012. The work of the Holy Spirit in the Christian mind is more than ever needed in the complexities of contemporary life. In this context, the Apostle Paul's word to the Church at Rome about the renewal of their minds, an appeal to think Christianly, is as relevant today as when it was written:
"Conform no longer to the pattern of this present world, but be transformed by the renewal of your minds. Then you will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and perfect." (12.2)

Your own in Christ,

+Robert.

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