TL:DR
We have a responsibility for how we read the Bible, because it has a real
impact on real lives. Yet, this is not a responsibility we can avoid, for in
reading the Bible we are equipped for our own lives together.
It
has been a difficult week for the Church of England, and, more broadly, a
shaming week for Christians in our nation. A report published sets out a great
evil, perpetuated not by the Church of England but in what might reasonably be
considered Church-adjacent institutions within the larger Establishment. At
some point, this abuse became known by individuals, in those institutions and
in the Church as an institution, who sought (arrogantly) to manage it
inappropriately and (also arrogance) prevent it from being known publicly, for
that would have a terrible reputational impact on them too. At some point,
others within the institution of the Church came to know, and sought to address
the matter rightly, but have been found not to have done enough, or soon enough.
And, for that shortcoming, the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken personal and
institutional responsibility.
At
the heart of this tragic affair are survivors and their families, abused and
denied justice. Also those who sought justice, but who found it too hard, or
somehow failed to do all that they could and should have done. And then there
are also those who actively sought to cover up evil, whose actions perpetuated
abuse and frustrated justice. Sometimes it is hard to draw a distinction
between the latter two categories. Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish between
all three.
Today,
I presided at Holy Communion. It was hard to know what to say, in a week like
this week. The epistle was an extract from a letter written by Paul to Philemon
in the middle of the first century CE. Paul was a church planter. Philemon was
the patron of a house church in Colossae, a Greco-Roman household made up of
free and slave families, a household who had come to faith in Jesus through the
ministry of Paul.
Philemon
had a slave named Onesimus. For context, 90 percent of the population of the
Roman empire were slaves. Onesimus had run away, finding his way to Ephesus,
and there discovering Paul living under house arrest. The runaway slave chooses
to serve Paul, to seek to meet his needs, as best as he is able. In so doing,
he becomes like a son to Paul. But Paul sends him back to Philemon, asking that
Philemon give Onesimus his freedom and allow him to return to Paul to continue
supporting him the trials he faces.
These
first-century correspondences are given to us to help us order our own lives,
in our own very different time. And as we read this account, I was struck by
the duty on us to handle these texts responsibly, because how we handle these
texts has a real impact on actual lives. How do we read a text like this, in a
week like this?
It
is possible to read this text as an example and endorsement of perpetuating
abuse. Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon, urges, perhaps it feels like
forces, him to go. Runaway slaves, caught, could face the death penalty.
Onesimus must have been afraid. Paul seems to believe he can handle the
situation himself, put in a good word, appeal to Philemon's better nature, or,
if not, the debt Philemon owes Paul, the power Paul holds over him as his
spiritual father.
There
are many who have misused scripture in this way, as a tool to force victims of
domestic abuse to remain in the place of harm, under the control of a bully.
This
would be an appalling way to read Philemon, albeit one that might expose the
darker corners of our own heart to the light. Is there a better way, a more
responsible reading, one that helps us fill the room with light?
I
would suggest that Onesimus represent one who serves the Church, and who has
somehow failed or let the Church down. The name Onesimus means Useful, a common
name for slaves, essentially a noun for a practical tool rather than a unique
and precious individual. But in running away, he becomes useless. Yet in
meeting Paul, he is transformed again, into one who is not Useful but one of
the family. And Paul invites Philemon to forgive Onesimus his sins, to erase
his debt, and to release him into a new role, one in which he is both loved and
valued.
What
if we were to read this letter as advice on how to treat a servant of the
Church who has to some extent failed in their service, as, to some extent, each
and every one of us fails on a daily basis? I am not speaking of one who has
actively chosen to betray the trust others placed in them, but one whom others
may feel betrayed by, perhaps with legitimate reason, simply because they
failed to do all that they could or should have done.
Such
a servant might be an archbishop, or a vicar, or a young person making
tentative steps of faith. They could have a formal role, such as a Churchwarden
or Parish Safeguarding Officer, or volunteer at the smallest level.
How
might such a person be restored and released, in ways that honour the kindred
ties of being the Church, of belonging to one another within the family of God?
The
key is love, shared, and thankfulness for that lovely, for one another. Even
when we have failed one another or perceive (whether with clarity or confusion)
another to have failed us. To note our thankfulness for them, their life, their
ministry. For all that has been done well, and all that is yet to come.
That
can be easier said than done. Therefore, let us keep reminding one another.