Creeping Restlessness

The Sudanese have fired the first Cannon across the deck. But you could see it coming. None of us on the fringes - of course - know exactly what is going on behind the closed doors. Yet all day yesterday, as the bishops and spouses spilled out of the dark corridors into the bright warm sun across the campus, you could sense that something is brewing. The polite epithets about how things are going so far and the non-commital but generally warm appraisals are beginning to disappear. A certain restlessness is emerging; surfacing in snippets of conversation from the participants about what is really going on behind the scenes: the process is unwieldy; the content is shallow; the real issues are being circumvented; personalities are beginning to clash in those "Indaba" groups. And then the Sudanese fired their cannon.

We will have to wait and see where it lands. It may land nowhere. There is little appetite here for a huge episcopal brawl, thanks in part to the absence of the self-exiled Nigerian and Ugandan contingents. Fatigue over this endless battle may be what saves this conference. If the "other side" resists the temptation to fire back, the Sudanese attack may be completely neutralized.

Need to Vent:
Even though the absence of the Nigerian and Ugandan bishops may in the end turn out to be the saving grace of Lambeth 2008, I must confess my great disappointment that the church in which I was raised is not represented. Every time I meet an African bishop here, the part of me that is still in denial hopes to meet one from Uganda, perhaps even someone I know. But of course, it is not going to happen - and that is where my pain lies. The Church of Uganda that raised me is the one which sheltered us through the dictatorship of Idi Amin and the many years of the civil war. It was a church of refuge for the suffering, the helpless, the poor and the powerless. The leadership of the Church I remember - my own father included - were men and women I admired for their courage to speak out for justice and against oppression, at great risk for their personal safety, I might add. It is deeply troubling to see that this Province, that could have been an effective bridge-builder in the current climate of strained relationships in the Communion is now notorious for its extremism. Very deeply troubling indeed.

Tomorrow:
I will give you a front-row / ringside account of how my fringe event unfolds. The Sudanese statement and any repercussions it may have on the events of the day today, may affect the discussion tonight. Please keep us in your prayers.

Blessings