Blog Wars and Crisis in the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC)

Blog Wars and Crisis in the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC)

As with any human enterprise, organization, or church, the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC) has its problems. Some are more serious than others. I will not air all of our dirty laundry in cyber-space for all to see, point the finger, wag their heads, and mock at. Yet, this is exactly what has been happening on other blogsites that I have recently become aware of.

Although I am seriously concerned about many of the problems facing my Communion, I am equally, if not more so, disgusted with the various Blog Wars assailing my Church. The hateful, malicious, and slanderous nature of many of these bloggers has more in common with a Jihad than with showing the love of Christ.

First, our Lord Christ commands us to not only love God and our neighbor but also to love our enemies (Luke 6. 32-36). How much more should we love our fellow Christian, even when they have fallen into sin? These blog warriors are not demonstrating love but hate, resentment, anger, bitterness, slander, and maliciousness, etc.

Second, in 1 Corinthians 6.1-7, St. Paul encourages us to rather suffer wrong for the sake of Christ than to seek for one’s own justification.
“1Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints? 2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life? 4If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? 5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren? 6But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?

Third, we are called to bear one another’s burdens. St Paul, in Galatias 6, says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentelness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear on another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Fourth, Christ gave us a pattern for handling our problems in the Church. In Matthew 18.15-17, it reads, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church…”

Many of these Blog Warriors are not exemplifying any of the characteristic traits of Christian piety, discipline, or charity. They are self-appointed Bishop and judges, who are manifesting a spirit of hatefulness, bitterness, and rebellion. They are slandering an entire Communion and specific individuals through a public medium (rather than doing it privately, in person, alone, or with witnesses).

Why are you blogging on a public forum? For those of you who remain in the CEC, why are you not submitting your problems to your Priest? To the Church? To your Bishop? For those of you who have left our ranks, why are you still complaining and slandering?

I have only mentioned a few Biblical Principles, but none of them mention making a public show of grievances. There are no Biblical or Christian principle which justify a Holy Crusade or Blog War against our neighbor, our brethren, or even an enemy! Rather, the Scriptures teach us the exact opposite. There is a proper way of doing things and all is to be done in charity.

I will leave you with one example from the saints. I do not remember where I read this story but it tells of a young woman, probably during the Middle Ages, who greatly desired the religious life. She wanted to live a life of prayer and surrender to the Lord but there were no convents where she lived. So, she shaved her head, posed as a man and entered life in a monastery. Sometime later, a woman from the local village accused her of raping her and fathering her child. Of course, this was not true or possible. She could have sought to justify herself and disclosed her secret. But she did not. She took the child and raised it as her own and lived in shame and isolation. It was not until her death, when preparing her body for burial, that she was justified.

Although something could be said about her deception, there is much more that could be said about her humility and willingness to choose to suffer wrong rather than seek her own self-justification.


Respectfully,

Fr Aidan Hix+