There has been lots of stuff going back-and-forth over the last few days concerning the mess in the Diocese of San Joaquin. You can find all manner of verbiage on the normal and various websites (Titusonenine, Father Jake Stops the World, Preludium, Standfirm, Episcopal Cafe, etc.). I will still contend that Fr. Dan Martins of Confessions of a Carioca presents the “best” analysis. I think this because:
1. He was a member of the San Jaoquine Standing Committee up until he relocated to the Diocese of Northern Indiana. He knows the people, what they think, how they act.
2. He worked to avoid the very thing that happened – an attempt to pull the diocese out of the Episcopal Church and align with the Province of the Southern Cone.
3. He is all about following the process – adhering to the Constitution and Canons of TEC.
This is a problem I have with many who might call themselves “liberals” or “progressives” – feelings trump the Rule of Law (not legalism, but due process!). I encounter this all the time in my own conversations. “Well, you might be right that this or that is provided for in the Canons, but…” There is no , “but…”, IMHO. If we really want to solve this, really solve it and not just force our own viewpoints or dogma or ideology upon the rest of the Church or Communion, then we do have to follow due process. What we are left with otherwise is simply chaos. This is a triumph of the very wrong cultural proclivities of “hyper-individualism” and “identity-politics” of this country. Without due process and the adherence to established order, we are lost!
So many like to condemn the conservatives in that they are not patient enough. Well, liberals, neither are you. Two wrongs don’t make a right, and yes, we do have time to let the process complete itself. We really, really do.