Suspicion and other spirits of disunity

September 8, 2007 by Pastor Dan.

Last spring, a major rift in the world’s Russian Orthodox Churches, which began under Soviet Communism, was officially healed when Metropolitan Laurus, the head of all Russian Orthodox congregations outside Russia, acknowledged the authority of Patriarch Alexei II in a liturgy celebrated in the Cathedral of Jesus Christ the Savior in Moscow.

The rift had begun in 1927 when the Metropolitan in Moscow declared loyalty to the Soviet government. Since the Soviet government no longer exists (and in fact Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was present for this historic event and had played a role in the reunification), it was time to heal the split between the church inside Russia and the congregations outside Russia.

It’s amazing this reunification took place so rapidly in the Orthodox communion. I am mindful of how long it took American Presbyterians to repair their breach after having divided over the issue of slavery in the 19^th century. And of course now we have a potential splintering of the world-wide Anglican communion over the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson by the Episcopal Church in the U.S.

Yesterday I said that the whole church of Christ desperately needs dialog on the matter of sexual minorities in the church. We are all in the church, by invitation of our Lord, yet we endlessly argue about who may have a place at the table. Too many of us are the petulant older brothers in the parable of the prodigal (Luke 15).

The first letter of John counsels us to “test the spirits” to see whether they are from God. Those of us who have a gay spirit and are faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ openly invite others to test our spirit, to see whether we are genuine, “from God.” But over the years we have been working for positive change in the church, we have encountered many spirits that did not meet the test.

The loudest and strongest of these spirits is the spirit of suspicion. I do battle with this spirit when I hold in suspicion any brother or sister that is homophobic or rabidly anti-gay. They, too, may acknowledge that Jesus is Lord even while the fear or despise me. And I pray that they sincerely do battle with the spirit of suspicion, too, as they consider my place in the church. It is suspicion itself that is not “of God.”

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. . . . Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes form God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.” 1 John 4:1–3, 7.

Suspicion has not been banished completely from the Russian Orthodox church. Apparently some people in the church outside Russia are still suspicious that the church inside Russia was infiltrated by the KGB during the Soviet era. They want a full accounting of this by the present hierarchy in Moscow, but it is not forthcoming. At the same time, the Orthodox church in Russia is flourishing again. There are signs that the Spirit of God is working among Russia’s Christians, even while the spirit of suspicion is still unsettling those outside Russia.

We Lutherans in America would do well to reflect on whether we are listening to the Spirit of God or the spirit of suspicion. I include in the “we” those Lutherans who will not recognize my ministry and insist that the policies of church exclude people like me and hold in suspicion those allies who walk with me.

May the Spirit of God guide us into fruitful dialog.

—Pastor Dan Hooper, Los Angeles

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