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            The prophet Ezekiel, with the mystic vision sometimes possessed by those suffering from mental instability, foresees the rebirth and reunion  of the kingdom of Samaria, destroyed by the Assyrians in 722 B.C., and the kingdom of Judah, overpowered in Ezekiel’s own day in the year 526 B.C. 
            In order to symbolize the two kingdoms, Ezekiel uses the prophetic sign of two sticks, which give his words dramatic power:
                        I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which
                        they have gone, and will gather them from all sides, and bring
                        them to their own land, and I will make them one nation in the
                        land, upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king
                        over them all, and they shall no longer be two nations, and no
                        longer divided into two kingdoms. 
                                    Ezekiel 37:21-22
            Jesus’ high-priestly prayer, “that they all may be one” (John 18:21), appears each year during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.  Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue seems to be on the back burner these days.  Rome complained recently about the decision by the Church of England to ordain women bishops, apparently forgetting or ignoring (as Vicky Matthews pointed out) that there have been women bishops  in other branches of the Anglican Communion for quite some time now. 
            Nevertheless, the rancor and division which we are currently experiencing in our church may make some Anglicans look Romeward with longing.  There is no doubt that the idea of “the one true church” under the infallible leadership of the Roman Pontiff has a strong appeal, and over the years many Anglicans have “swum the Tiber.” 
            But there are problems, as we were reminded by an article in yesterday’s Star  reporting on an open letter to the Pope which had appeared in Italy’s largest newspaper on the 40th anniversary of the encyclical of Paul VI banning birth control.
            The church’s anti-contraception policy
                        has had a catastrophic impact on the poor and powerless around
                        the world, endangering women’s lives and leaving millions at
                        risk of HIV.
Since most Catholics continue to use contraception without any sense of guilt, the policy has been “an utter failure.” 
            Despite these strong words, I very much doubt that the letter will have any effect.  One of the problems of the Roman system is the difficulty it experiences in admitting that it has made a mistake, particularly when the mistake has been of long duration and has adversely affected countless numbers of people. 
            An alternative to the idea of “the one true church” can be found in the early Church in Jerusalem, where the Christians were said to be “of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32), forming a unity of soulmates.
            Starting in October, my wife and I will be leading a discussion group on “The Spirituality of the Book of Common Prayer.”  The way in which the liturgical changes of 1985 were implemented is still a factor in the discontent within our church.  We would like to provide a forum in which those who love the Prayer Book can share their experience with others.  Such a support group, free from controversy and contention, may offer, we hope, something positive for our beleaguered but beloved church.            

July 27, 2008

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