Take No Care....

Jesus said, "Take no care for the next day" Psalms observes, "The evil of a day is a sufficient problem."

How then do we evaluate the controversy that has arisen from the personal notes of a member of Via Media USA's board? The notes suggest that the organization wants to be in place to limit the losses as bishops and congregations stalk out of the Episcopal Church and attempt to take assets with them. It is a sad day when such planning is needed, but is it wrong?

If one reads David Virtue's notes, it is. Somehow he finds in what is clearly a plan to react, a plot. Of course, he thinks, I believe, that where two or more liberals gather together, there Satan is in the midst of them. So, he suggests that the idea of not letting conservatives steal is equivalent to Kristal Nicht. A bit over the top, but his readers agree with him!

But, back to the Biblical problem, is contingency planning for evil expected constitute a sinful act? Hmmm.... well, I suppose it depends. If we think the cited words above reflect their, "plain meaning" maybe.

But(!) it is fairly standard interpretation to suggest there is a difference between planning and focusing one's attention on the wrong things. Planning for a Christian, is always contingent, "If God permits...." We perhaps say that less often than our Moslem friends who use the Arabic words in almost any comment about planning. What Jesus and the OT authors are saying is wrong is dwelling on the future ill to the exclusion of focus on today, and the blessings God gives us today.

What then about the plot? Well, if one reads the notes, it is clear that they are reactive. The intent is to react to what appear to the conferees a series of likely defections by various leaders on the right who want to claim that leaving the church is not leaving the church but being true to some sort or higher truth. In my view, anytime one claims to see higher truth, you are on the road to disaster. There is no legal way the bishops of Dallas and Pittsburg can take diocesan property and “join” the church of Nigeria. But, it is clear from their comments and the moves they are making that they will try if they are the sore losers at next general convention. Being prepared to stop what I think, and the courts likely will see is theft is prudence. And prudence is a virtue, not a sin.