Like many, I was incensed by the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Easter sermon, widely reported with glee in the likes of the Guardian, and with umbrage in the Daily Mail et al.
Welby is an intelligent man, an experienced man of the cloth, a man with a real-world (i.e. non-ecclesiastical) past, so you’d think he’d know how to write a sermon, especially at Easter, the most joyous event in the Christian calendar. Such a sermon should have been accessible and inspiring, uplifting yet deep, authoritative but humbling, didactive while forgiving.
‘Twas nothing like that. The kindest thing I can say is that it was unhelpful. Welby basically said, Priti’s plan to send immigrants to Rwanda is bad and God will be cross, because I say so.
Such a message was bound to pit Priti critics against Priti supporters. That was divisive, if not inflammatory. There was no attempt to bring these two factions together; no forgiveness or instruction for those who might support Priti’s plan but for the wrong reasons; no suggestion as to what might save lives at sea more effectively; no insight as to how we should think about and pray for the people-traffickers – the real villains of the piece. Also, his explanation as to why Easter is, well, special was all in the abstract.
His language was stilted, his phraseology opaque, his message uninspiring. Do you know what the following means? Do you feel enlightened about illegal immigrants or Christianity’s key teachings?
“Through the historical reality of the resurrection of Jesus, God gives our lives purpose and our society resilience … Jesus’ resurrection, dead first, now alive, changed history. It changed societies, shaped nations. It calls us each to live resurrection shaped and filled lives now, and to mould resurrection filled societies in our world today and in the future.”
Nope. Me neither.
Compare this to a commentary by The Reverend Marcus Walker in the latest issue of The Critic. He is writing about the war in Ukraine, specifically the “horrors of Bucha”. It’s not the two issues – Ukraine and illegal immigration – I’m comparing, but the different abilities of two preachers to meaningfully shepherd their flock.
Using a calm, accessible, non-judgmental, conciliatory approach, The Rev doesn’t criticise politicians for their various responses, doesn’t advocate flight not fight; he accepts the reality and sometimes the necessity of war – within the rules of war – to defeat a greater evil. He counsels us against responding to evil with evil but to afford those perpetrating evil “the dignity which they have stripped from so many others … That is the only way to preserve our humanity.”
In other words, turn the other cheek.
He then applies this lesson to lesser evils as well: “…we each decide whether to shine a little more light in the world or allow the darkness to creep that little bit further forward.”
His master stroke, however, is his final sentence: “I pray that we have the grace to choose the latter.”
He could have said “you”, but he didn’t. He came down from his virtual pulpit and stood amongst us as a fellow sinner, signifying that he knows no better, he is no better, than anyone else.
A true leader. A real shepherd.
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