Wikipedia
succinctly reminds us that the Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern
Italy, about 80 kilometers long, running from the Apennine Mountains to the
Adriatic Sea through the southern Emilia-Romagna region, between the towns of
Rimini and Cesena. The Latin word rubico
comes from the adjective "rubeus", meaning "red". The river
was so named because its waters are colored red by mud deposits. It was a key boundary
that protected Rome from civil war.
The idiom
"Crossing the Rubicon" means to pass a point of no return, and refers
to Julius Caesar's army's crossing of the river in 49 BC, which was considered
an act of insurrection. Because the course of the river has changed much since
then, it is impossible to confirm exactly where the Rubicon flowed when Caesar
and his legions crossed it.
Now that
we have recalled the geopolitical situation of long ago, I would draw a
parallel to what is taking place now at General Convention. The Rubicon of
General Convention is crossed by a process of concurrence. That is to say, both
the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops must concur with the action
taken in exactly the same form. Therefore, much of the ‘news’ from General
Convention that has begun to circulate is not yet news that has crossed over to
the other side. Soon this will change.
The House
of Bishops has sent to the House of Deputies our recommended text to providefor the blessing of same-sex relationships. While I anticipate it will pass in
the other House with a level of support similar to that of the House of Bishops
(111 voted yes and 41 voted no), it is not yet an accomplished fact.
Resolutionson the implementation of the Church Health Insurance and Pension Funds appear
to be heading to an accommodation that will allow for more time to pass before
these are fully implemented. Issues of timing, tiered payment levels, and the
unintended consequences of wanting to do a good thing (provide equal health
coverage for full-time lay and clergy Church workers) are among the issues
being addressed. The final form outcome remains to be seen, but the work itself
is moving in a positive direction.
A resolution
I mentioned in passing the other day that was to support the District of
Columbia attain statehood as the 51st state in the Union is a prime
example of how a resolution that came to the Convention in one form was
transformed by careful work of a Legislative Committee so that it was presented
in our House yesterday and adopted. The resulting resolution had nothing today
about naming the new state “New Columbia” as had originally been proposed. Rather,
a more nuanced statement emerged that actually dealt with the process by which
statehood in this unique circumstance could be achieved. But that is another
river to cross at a later date.
It was my
privilege to attend the Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial meeting for a
special session at which dioceses could present a woman of distinction to be
honored. For West Tennessee, I was honored to present Dr. Susan Nelson from St.
Mary’s Cathedral, Memphis, for this recognition. All who know Susan know of her
commitment to Haiti and of her works of healing and care in Memphis. I know you
join me in congratulating her in receiving this well-deserved honor.
To
participate in the worship here has been a wonderful experience. While each
daily Eucharist has been special in its own way, I am certain that each of our
Deputies has particular moments that stick out in our minds. For me, the
sermons by our Presiding Bishop, by the Bishop of North Carolina, and by apriest who spoke of her experience in a Native American congregation will long
stay with me.
On the
day of the Eucharist at which the United Thank Offering is presented, I recall
a moment during the opening hymn. The bishops process, and four abreast we line
both sides of the center aisle. (We do know how to do processions!) What I
recall is the seven or eight year old boy who, while we were still singing,
stopped at each row of bishops and took a picture. I recall his excited
seriousness as he went about this important moment he wanted to be able to
recall later. It said something to me about the way the youth of today are
looking at what all of us, lay and clergy, are doing. I hope that what we
decide will be remembered and acted on in their lives in the years ahead.
While I
could go on, I will close with one more remembrance. When we moved to the time
of the Lord’s Prayer in one of the Eucharistic celebrations, we were invited to
pray in our own language this great prayer that Jesus taught us. When we had
finished praying, there was the sound of a language I did not know that
continued. A group was singing the Lord’s Prayer in their own language. It was
beautiful and haunting to hear them sing. What was powerful to me was not only
the singing; it was the reverence with which the other worshipers waited for
the sung prayer to be finished in its own time. General Convention is about
prayers being offered in thought and word and deed and in their own language
and time. We are doing the work of the Church here. It is a sacred moment. It
will involve crossing certain rivers, and in the end it will mean having to
find new ways to sing the old, old story of Jesus and his love. But that is
what we are trying to accomplish. I guess the only way to do it is to
eventually get our feet wet. So into the river we go…
+Don
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