As I read comments from all over the world about the Church and the Anglican Communion, a picture has been growing clearer in my mind over the last few days. 

I see a beautiful bird, with glistening feathers, loud melodious voice, strong wings, and powerful feet.  Then I see hands trying to pull the wings off the bird.  Other hands try to restrain the feet.  The message in this vision is not the cruelty and violence of the attack (remember, this is a picture in my mind’s eye–I can disallow that!).  The message is that missing either wing, the bird cannot fly.  Without the ability to grasp a branch, it must circle endlessly and will fall from the sky.  Neither disabled bird can do much.

I am no theological thinker, but my simplistic understanding of what people are saying follows.  I may be completely wrong, of course.

My guess is that the "right" might say, "We are the bird Jesus meant us to be.  You others are trying to take the feet which support us and allow us to be present on the earth."  Or, perhaps, "We are the bird.  You have morphed into a moth."

My guess is that the "left" might say, "We are becoming the bird Jesus meant us to be.  You others are trying to pull the wings off and tether us to this single tree."  Or, perhaps, "We are the bird.  You have morphed into a tortoise."

My guess is that the "center" might say, "Pox on both your houses.  You both are noisy, agressive, egg-stealing blue jays.  But you are still birds and still beautiful.  HOWEVER, you are not going to steal OUR eggs."

I’m not sure how this vision will change over the next few days and weeks, or what that change will call me to do.  I am exceedingly liberal on some topics, very conservative on others, and utterly indifferent on still others.

Maybe in addition to "liberal, conservative, moderate" we need a fourth category: "waiting"* for those of us who are prayerfully and actively contemplating a vision of the church as a unity which cannot survive either with its wings taken off or its feet bound.  The "wait-ers" are waiting for God to tell us to do something–other than wait.  And in the meantime, we are carrying on doing those things that we do know that we should be doing.  All the while, keeping an eye on that great soaring bird.

Peace,
Laura

*I would never claim this for my other sisters and brothers in the fourth category, but I freely admit for myself that perhaps an equally good word would be "confused".  I’m doing those things where I am not confused and waiting for God to clear the cloud in other areas.