ONE OF THE key tasks of the Christian church is to live and to preach reconciliation.William Barclay suggests that never once is God said to be reconciled to man; it is man who must be reconciled to God and that’s the difficult part.
The tragedy is that the church which is called to be the model of reconciliation is often its contradiction because of a preoccupation with internal matters.
We see this in the debate within churches about the role of women in ministry. While there has been a general acceptance within Anglicanism of women’s ordination, there are those who feel in conscience that they cannot accept this break with tradition and especially if it means the ordination of women bishops.
In response to the situation, Pope Benedict XVI recently approved a canonical structure which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while preserving elements of their Anglican heritage.
But the suggestion that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was only informed of this proposal at the last minute has caused disquiet in Anglican circles and beyond.
Archbishop George Carey, his predecessor, was “appalled” that Archbishop Williams was informed only shortly before it was announced: “I think in this day and age, it was inexcusable to do this without consultation.”
The Catholic theologian Father Hans Küng described the offer as a “tragedy, a non-ecumenical piracy of priests.”
These are difficult times for ecumenism.
But what does this tell us about the state of the church when the role of women within the church can cause such dissension while the exploitation and abuse of women worldwide goes largely unnoticed? Has Christianity lost its way?
The Korean theologian Chung Hyun Kyung speaks of overwhelming suffering and injustice in the lives of Asian women.
“Female children generally are more poorly fed, less educated and overworked when compared with male children. Even after they grow up, women’s lives only get worse under oppressive public and domestic structures.Their bodies are controlled and their labours are exploited. In their brokenness and longing for a full humanity, Asian women have met and come to know God.”
The abuse and exploitation of women and girls is by no means confined to Asia.
We need to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches in tomorrow’s Gospel reading where Jesus comments on the exploitation of women by men in high places: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market places and to have the best seats in the synagogues. They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers.”
He then commends a widow for her generosity, insisting that her contribution is greater than anyone else’s, including the men who make the rules. And he said these things in a culture where men praised God daily “who did not make me a woman”.
Sister Virginia Fabella reminds us in a reflection of the special relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. “In the social setting of her time, women were ‘non-persons’ who ‘belonged’ to some male individual, with no rights of their own. And yet Jesus showed respect for Mary’s personhood by calling her by name [in the Easter garden] and gave recognition of her personal dignity as a woman, thus dignifying womanhood as well. There is something significant in the fact that Jesus appreciated Mary’s worth for who she was as a person, and not because she was the ‘wife of’ or ‘mother of’ or ‘daughter of’ a superior male. She was Mary of Magdala. Jesus not only recognised her value as a person but confirmed her trustworthiness and capability above his other disciples, to be his first witness to the resurrection”.
Mary’s unique role as the first recorded witness to the Resurrection is surely significant, reminding us that in church life some things are much more important than others.
“A love of reconciliation is not weakness or cowardice. It demands courage, nobility, generosity. Overcoming oneself rather than one’s adversary.” – Pope Paul VI.
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