Andy (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} emperoraf) wrote,@ 2009-11-03 22:11:00 |
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On the Roman Option (2)
BACK IN THE day (as in October 25th) I wrote a post that explained my own personal feelings about the Bishop of Rome's offering a home to angry Anglicans in the Roman Church -- as long as they submit to him. I offered precious little in the way of understanding the offer, as I can't add more than what numerous commentators have already said. Last evening, however, everything changed. After getting off of work, a new understanding of the situation was given to me in what seemed like a dream. As my good friend AO used to say, "It was as if God reached down and punched me in the throat." And indeed, He did. And I'd like to share that with you.
ANYONE WHO HAS taken the SAT knows that a major portion of the test is made up of analogies. Surely, you must know these quite well, but here's a sample just in case you can't remember: A maniple is to a Mass as _____ is to getting into heaven. Of course, you know the answer is faith, because a maniple is always required for a Mass to valid; so is faith to get into the heavenly realms. Simple enough, right?
ANALOGIES ARE NOT only the bane of pimply, hormonal and awkwardly lanky teenagers, but are also the bane of plump Christians throughout the world, since the scriptures are filled with them. One cannot peruse the Gospel of Matthew with out discovering the phrase The Kingdom of God is like . . . on just about ever sentence. Our Lord used metaphors and analogies to make a point or jab at the Pharisees in his parables. As they told me in Sunday School, A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Its even in our hymnody with this little line from St. Thomas Aquinas: Types and shadows have their ending. So, God likes saying stuff is like stuff because of this stuff. And you get a new stuff comes from all that stuff.
THIS NEW UNDERSTANDING for the Roman Question comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation (of holy memory). Let me explain:
YOU SEE, THE Anglican Communion is like the Federation. We've got all these autonomous ships flying about the galaxy without much to do with each other. This is just like how the AC is made up of autonomous Churches throughout the world, all spreading the Gospel in their own way. Some are Captained by women (TEC) or by overly excited men too focused on sex (Nigeria) or by wise, bald British men (the C of E). Each of the ships have their own mission, either to seek out life or to boldy go where no man has gone before -- you know, whatever. They live in relative peace and harmony, even though the disagree occasionally. Need I labor this any longer?
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH is like the crew of USS Enterprise 1701-D (or E, if you please). Our Data is ++KJS, who brilliantly leads and informs with the a cool, low voice and lock jaw. We've got Counselor Troy in our touchy-feely-o-my-God-we-can't-offend-th
THE ROMAN CHURCH, therefore is like the Borg. The Borg, you might recall, are a race of Cyborgs who assimilate other races into their collective. Each individual Borg has no sense of individuality, but shares all of its thoughts with the rest of those Borgs. When Borgs get away from their Collective, they begin to get lonely. This is just like the Romans, except the "Collective" is the voice of tradition throughout the two thousand year history of the Church. They lose a lot of individuality with all those voices of tradition screaming in their ears. They are no longer Sally or Bill, but "3 of 5". You must coordinate with the collective's stance on birth control or whatever. The Borgs only focus on assimilating entire cultures (seldom attacking individuals). This is just like the Roman desire to see entire Anglo-Catholic parishes come over to Rome, keeping their Prayer Books and (now MAYBE keep) their married Priests! The Borg have a Queen, so do the Romans (and we all know who she is!) Need I labor this any longer?
WELL, IT ALL makes sense to me now. Clearly.
BACK IN THE day (as in October 25th) I wrote a post that explained my own personal feelings about the Bishop of Rome's offering a home to angry Anglicans in the Roman Church -- as long as they submit to him. I offered precious little in the way of understanding the offer, as I can't add more than what numerous commentators have already said. Last evening, however, everything changed. After getting off of work, a new understanding of the situation was given to me in what seemed like a dream. As my good friend AO used to say, "It was as if God reached down and punched me in the throat." And indeed, He did. And I'd like to share that with you.
ANYONE WHO HAS taken the SAT knows that a major portion of the test is made up of analogies. Surely, you must know these quite well, but here's a sample just in case you can't remember: A maniple is to a Mass as _____ is to getting into heaven. Of course, you know the answer is faith, because a maniple is always required for a Mass to valid; so is faith to get into the heavenly realms. Simple enough, right?
ANALOGIES ARE NOT only the bane of pimply, hormonal and awkwardly lanky teenagers, but are also the bane of plump Christians throughout the world, since the scriptures are filled with them. One cannot peruse the Gospel of Matthew with out discovering the phrase The Kingdom of God is like . . . on just about ever sentence. Our Lord used metaphors and analogies to make a point or jab at the Pharisees in his parables. As they told me in Sunday School, A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. Its even in our hymnody with this little line from St. Thomas Aquinas: Types and shadows have their ending. So, God likes saying stuff is like stuff because of this stuff. And you get a new stuff comes from all that stuff.
THIS NEW UNDERSTANDING for the Roman Question comes from Star Trek: The Next Generation (of holy memory). Let me explain:
YOU SEE, THE Anglican Communion is like the Federation. We've got all these autonomous ships flying about the galaxy without much to do with each other. This is just like how the AC is made up of autonomous Churches throughout the world, all spreading the Gospel in their own way. Some are Captained by women (TEC) or by overly excited men too focused on sex (Nigeria) or by wise, bald British men (the C of E). Each of the ships have their own mission, either to seek out life or to boldy go where no man has gone before -- you know, whatever. They live in relative peace and harmony, even though the disagree occasionally. Need I labor this any longer?
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH is like the crew of USS Enterprise 1701-D (or E, if you please). Our Data is ++KJS, who brilliantly leads and informs with the a cool, low voice and lock jaw. We've got Counselor Troy in our touchy-feely-o-my-God-we-can't-offend-th
THE ROMAN CHURCH, therefore is like the Borg. The Borg, you might recall, are a race of Cyborgs who assimilate other races into their collective. Each individual Borg has no sense of individuality, but shares all of its thoughts with the rest of those Borgs. When Borgs get away from their Collective, they begin to get lonely. This is just like the Romans, except the "Collective" is the voice of tradition throughout the two thousand year history of the Church. They lose a lot of individuality with all those voices of tradition screaming in their ears. They are no longer Sally or Bill, but "3 of 5". You must coordinate with the collective's stance on birth control or whatever. The Borgs only focus on assimilating entire cultures (seldom attacking individuals). This is just like the Roman desire to see entire Anglo-Catholic parishes come over to Rome, keeping their Prayer Books and (now MAYBE keep) their married Priests! The Borg have a Queen, so do the Romans (and we all know who she is!) Need I labor this any longer?
WELL, IT ALL makes sense to me now. Clearly.
