Ground Your Weapons – A Letter from Scotland

The malice, hate and vendetta aroused in village churches has been matched only by the uncomprehending amazement of non-members. For many in Highland pubs, the Free Church has become a joke. How these Christians love one another! One foolish Free-Kirker was overheard to say, almost with glee, “Our church has been rent for the glory of God.”

Now churches may from time to time be split, but it is seldom to the glory of Christ or the advancement of God’s kingdom.

The recent proposal by the executive of the new Scottish Parliament to repeal a clause governing sex education in schools, which the executive thought discriminated against gay people, provoked a storm of protest.

The proposed repeal was interpreted by some as endorsing the homosexual lifestyle as the moral equivalent of the heterosexual lifestyle, deserving parity of esteem. Others viewed it as removing a form of legal discrimination against one section of the community.

The debate has been characterized on both sides by strongly worded letters to newspaper editors, and some intemperate sound-bites by church men and women on radio and television.

The manifestation of such bitterness at a time when the church bleeds, saddens me. I am sure it would also sadden Paul. Recall how concerned he was about the divisions within the church at Corinth and about those who arrogantly claimed that they alone were the true Christians.

Polarization into so-called conservative and liberal camps seems to be in the air we breathe. Both sides are at times guilty of claiming a monopoly of truth and virtue. Sure that they occupy the high moral ground, they will sometimes stop at nothing to discredit or vilify those who disagree with them.

Professor James Whyte, a former General Assembly moderator, is on record as saying, “Beware of those in the courts of the church who use the Holy Spirit to buttress their arguments. Whenever I hear someone in the Assembly refer to the Spirit of God in debate, I suspect he is about to give someone Hell.”

Little wonder that those outside the church shake their heads at our aggression and bitter attitudes, at the absence sometimes from church debates of the fruits of the Spirit — patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control.

Concerning the commandment, “You shall not bear false witness,” the Larger Catechism says, “The duties required in this commandment are: the preserving and promoting of truth between people, and the good name of neighbor, as well as our own . . . a charitable esteem of our neighbors . . . a ready receiving of a good report and an unwillingness to admit of an evil report concerning them.”

In 1994 I had to chair the Assembly for a highly publicized debate on human sexuality. In light of the intense media interest — and the fact that feelings were running high on both sides — before the debate began, I asked all who intended to speak to be sensitive to the feelings and view of those who differed from them, to refrain from denigrating anyone’s integrity or questioning anyone’s Christian commitment. I expressed the hope that they would instead contend for what they believed in a spirit of brotherly love, that there would be no mean-spiritedness. I was tempted to quote the perceptive prayer attributed to Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War: “O Lord, one side in this conflict is wrong, and both may be wrong.”

Falkirk Presbytery used to be known as the McClements-McGhee roadshow. Duncan McClements and Bob McGhee were two of the ablest debaters in the church. On theological and political issues they were often poles apart. In the minds of many, Duncan was linked with the more liberal wing of the church, Bob with the more conservative. Yet at the close of many a presbytery meeting they would be seen leaving, the one with his arm around the other. It was significant that when each minister in the presbytery was asked to nominate a pastoral adviser, Duncan chose Bob and Bob chose Duncan.

Would that there was more of that grace and respect between those of differing theological viewpoints. In this connection I think also of the glorious example set by your own former General Assembly moderator, Douglas Oldenburg, in choosing as his vice moderator one of his more conservative challengers for the office of moderator.

I am told that the root image of the Psalmist’s phrase, “Be still,” is a Hebrew military term meaning “Ground your weapons.” It is a command to stop warring attacks, a summons to lay down the swords we use to attack each other and to beat them into plowshares. Opinions may be mistaken, but grace and love never are.

As Paul implied long ago, nothing will matter if love does not win.