It is so good to hear that the Anglican Covenant is being sent out to all member churchs and that from this point we can as a communion begin to work on our relationships and understandings of each other.

It is so hard to face the future when the essence of our very being feels like it is under a surgeons knife. It is very well to be firm in ones belief and this is to be admired but without love it is nothing just a resounding gong as one would say. It undermines and at the very worse risks the spiritual life of another, which is thus nothing short of murder.

I say this because the passage from James about taming the tongue is based on the thought that is close the Jewish heart. If one damages another’s response or journey with God then that is on par with murder.

The Anglican covenant aims to enable us to start working on our relationaships, building our trust and helping us to be responsible to and for each other. This is so exciting and if people are prepared to take this on and work with each other with any gusto how amazing it will be.

As a simple lay member of the congregation who is continually baffled at how complex life as a member of Christ’s family can get I am hopeful at this stage that there are opportunities being set out for us to learn more about how we can know where and perhaps how we stand together and that there are people who can see we can ‘intensify our fellowship and our trust’ (Archbishop Rowan Williams,
http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2802)

I really hope we will be able to read this document as I have always wanted to learn much more about what we hold in common as a communion. The Covenant sets out a basis on which the Anglican family works, prays, live and hopes and this sounds like something that should encourage and enable us to work together and rejoice in our diversity and ability to learn and grow closer to Christ through our discussion.