N.I.C.E and Positive Social Contributions
Penny Mordaunt's open letter to her bishop and what Justin Welby should do with his morning.
Sorry about the lateness of the podcast yesterday—our old house decided to have a bit of an electrical tantrum and we had to get someone in to soothe its aged feelings and do some crucial rewiring. One result was for the first time in seven years, I was able to turn on the light in my dining room. The other result was that when we did the podcast, it was the end of the day—nearly seven o’clock—and I was slipping into my usual eventide demoralized enervation, wherein I wish Jesus would come back before I have to climb up all the attic stairs to my bed, but, of course, I don’t expect him to.
It was for this reason that I had so much passionate energy on the Pod about the unfairness of Penny Mordaunt, as a woman, having to hold that sword for the whole of the coronation ceremony. I didn’t stop to consider that maybe, as a woman, she really wanted to, nor that perhaps she had spent a good amount of time being pretty excited about getting to do it. Though, even the gray light of the morning, it still looks to me like a pretty uncomfortable business.
I bring all this up because her name has been jangling around in the back of my head. Where had I heard it before?
Hadn’t some news item recently crossed my Twitter feed? Sitting in the dystopian-esque parking lot of the dance studio, waiting for my child, I googled her and “Church of England” and sure enough, a few telling articles popped up, like this one (the Guardian), and this one (the Spectator), and this one (Carl Trueman). Oh, and this brilliant Tweet (Calvin Robinson).
Here is a picture of her open letter to her bishop:
Carl Trueman’s takedown is the best, as usual. This bit, in particular:
The letter, and the responses of other MPs outlined in the Guardian’s report, offer many interesting insights into contemporary British (and indeed Western) culture. “Trauma,” for example, has to be one of the words most subject to grade inflation over the last decade. It used to refer to serious bodily injury. Now it seems to operate as an emotive catch-all for anything that makes anyone feel somewhat uncomfortable. If LGBTQ+ individuals are truly “traumatized” by the fact that their unions are not sanctified by an institution that was already socially and culturally irrelevant to most English people when I was at school in the 1980s, then the bar for trauma is, I fear, heading in a subterranean direction.
And this bit, about the feelings and thoughts of the Archbishop of Canterbury:
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, however, is apparently delighted: “This response reflects the diversity of views in the Church of England on questions of sexuality, relationships and marriage. I rejoice in that diversity and I welcome this way of reflecting it in the life of our church. I hope it can offer a way for the Church of England, publicly and unequivocally, to say to all Christians and especially LGBTQI+ people, that you are welcome and a valued and precious part of the body of Christ.” Or, to put it more concisely in the words of Neville Chamberlain, “Peace in our time.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Also, this ominous sounding threat by Mordaunt, just to quote the letter, rankles:
This issue has been under discussion within the Church of England for a long time. Whilst not a reason in itself, I fear that if it is not resolved at next month’s General Synod the matter will continue to fester and detract from the positive contribution the church of England makes to our society.
That’s a very polite way of saying it— “under discussion”—as if the issue hasn’t rent apart Western Society and the Anglican Communion. The Church of England’s commitment to “discuss” this matter turned out to be…what’s a kind word? disingenuous? duplicitous? the opposite of what the word “discussion” usually means? It meant that they would make everyone keep drinking endless cups of tea until we all agreed with Penny Mordaunt. It’s just that it’s taken an awfully long time because those Christians who really do believe that the Bible is the measure of faith, and not what the Parliament or various Thought Leaders have decided for this morning, can’t be shifted off their backward and benighted theological convictions.
That’s not the bit that really boils me, though. It’s the idea that if we keep “talking” about it, the Church won’t be able to make a “positive contribution” to “society.” Is that what this has come to? The Church, like other irrelevant but strangely necessary social institutions—necessary if they make people feel good about themselves, irrelevant if they try to speak about matters of faith or doctrine—needs to “make a positive contribution.” What does that mean?
What “contribution” could the church possibly make to a society that has embraced everything that she, the church, is not allowed to bless? Pride, self-sufficiency, sexual immorality…I’m too depressed to list anymore.
Actually, I do have an answer to that question. The church still can make a “positive contribution” to “society” by repenting of her wicked capitulation to the zeitgeist. Justin Welby could sit at this late, dark, ruinous hour, put his head in his hands, and admit that he is a sinner in need of a Savior, that he has done what he ought not to have done, and not done what he ought to have done, and that there is no health in him. He could contemplate the long eternity before him, as we all should, and read allowed Jesus’ Woes from this morning’s Daily Office election. And then he could write an open letter to Penny Mordaunt in which he shares with her the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Or not. Keep doing that hideous thing you are doing. Maybe Merlin won’t rise up out of the bowels of the earth to turn over all your N.I.C.E. and useless social contributions. Have a nice day!
Anne, you continue to do the job of a true prophet, calling evil evil and good good. I loved the literary reference to Lewis' That Hideous Strength to conclude your discussion of both Mordaunt and Welby's advocacy of evil, their calling evil good. I also enjoyed that you included Trueman's comparison of Welby to Chamberlain. Both Lewis and Trueman remind us that we are involved in a cosmic struggle, one already won by our Lord Jesus, but challenging as the powers of darkness rage until the Parousia. As our precious Lord Jesus clearly said, we are slaves to sin or freed in Christ, and as the Apostle echoes, "when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience [to God], resulting in righteousness." Loving Lord, grant the Spirit of repentance to rest on the Archbishop, and on us all.
I love that you made a reference to N.I.C.E because I just finished That Hideous Strength for the first time, a couple of days ago.