Do not say “Peace, peace” when there is no peace. In the debate over the recently adopted report of the Task Force on the Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church, some have rushed to point to those words of prophetic denunciation, believing that they fittingly apply to the present-day Presbyterian Church.
But is it not likewise a serious error for God’s people to proclaim “Doom and disaster” when there is no doom and disaster? It seems that certain individuals and groups within the church are so certain that doom and disaster are imminent that they apparently refuse even to consider the possibility that God might have something else in mind for our future.
The simple fact, though, is that doom and disaster sells. When I woke up on August 10, my clock radio greeted me with the dire news of the suspected terrorists who had been arrested in England. With a somber, anxious voice the local newscaster predicted that air travel across the country would be thrown into utter chaos with extraordinarily long delays. If at all possible, the broadcaster said, the public should forget about flying that day.
That news was particularly distressing because I had tickets to fly that morning to Austin, Texas, to see my brother and his family. What was I going to do? I ended up deciding to arrive at the airport more than three hours before my departure and see what would happen. As I drove out the highway toward the airport the same radio announcer was continuing his doomsday warnings about the horrors that would await air passengers that day. Eventually the newsman said, “Let’s go to the airport now for a first-hand report on the chaos. Mary, tell us what it’s like.” But the reporter at the airport replied, “It’s really not that bad. Security lines are down to a five-minute wait, which is about normal for this time of day, and everything seems to be going rather smoothly.” When she said that, you could sense how completely and utterly disappointed the broadcaster was that all of his words had been shown to be false and misguided. All morning long he had been saying that doom and disaster were imminent, reports that caused listeners like me to hang on his every word. But in the end it turned out that he was claiming more knowledge about the truth than he actually possessed.
I do not claim to be an expert in any way concerning what implications the PUP report will have for the Presbyterian Church in the years ahead. Perhaps it will bring doom and disaster to our denomination, as some propose. But maybe, just maybe, that action of our General Assembly might be a way that God is seeking to bring to our church those seemingly perpetually elusive qualities that we call peace, unity, and purity.
Many today want immediate answers about what the adopted PUP report means for the future of the church. As far as I can tell, immediate answers are not available or possible. What we need, I believe, is patience. What we need, I believe, is to give the adopted PUP report some time. In that respect, the wise counsel of Gamaliel in the fifth chapter of Acts is especially apropos. He advised his fellow religious leaders to not make a hasty judgment about the new innovation known as Christianity. Instead Gamaliel recommended that they give it some time first, believing that if it was a human-made scheme it would ultimately fail; but if it was of divine inspiration, would they want to be found fighting against God?
While speculating about the future of the church might be an enticing activity, we need to acknowledge that ultimately our future is in God’s hands. And instead of us rushing in to render our judgments on what the PUP report means for the church’s future, let us permit God to do some judging first. Are we willing to allow some time for God to do that?
C. Edward Bowen is pastor of the Crafton United Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. He is a frequent contributor to LectionAid and Lectionary Homiletics.
