receive the message below and was given permission to share it...
________________________________
From: Pradeep Kumar Samantaroy
Sent: 02 August 2008 20:35
To: Phil Groves
Subject: Love Unites
Dear Phil,
It was nice to talk to you this evening. I thank God for your ministry of
listening. I know it is one of the most important yet challenging ministries
of the Church today. I wish to share some of my thoughts with you.
I am serving the people of the Diocese of Amritsar, Church of North India,
in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. I came to
attend the Lambeth Conference with lot of questions in my mind about the
issue of human sexuality as I knew this issue has threatened the unity in
the Anglican Communion. Coming from a conservative back-ground I was not
even prepared to listen to any person who supported the gay and lesbian
people. However, the Indaba experience has changed my opinion. After
listening to the stories of bishops coming from different cultural contexts
I have become aware of the pain and agony people have bear because of our
attitude towards each other. Further, I am convinced that despite their
different and often opposite positions all are committed to live and grow
within the Anglican family. The binding force in a family is love. If we
love one another we learn to transcend our differences and don't hesitate to
sacrifice our own interests for the sake of the family unity. This is
possible only when we are willing to listen to each other. The amount of
sacrifices I make is dependent on the depth of my love and intimacy of my
relationship.
As for me I have decided not to be hasty in judging the gay and the
lesbians. I wish to learn more about their life and problems. I have also
decided to regularly pray for them. I wish to encourage the other members of
the Anglican Communion to do the same.
You may share my thoughts with other like-minded persons.
Prayerfully
Bunu (Bishop P. K. Samantaroy)
P.S. Please feel free to edit my letter as English is not my first language
Bishop P.K.Samantaroy
26, R.B.Prakash Chand Road
Amritsar - 143001
Punjab
INDIA
This is precisely the kind of impact that I think we wanted to have. I want to say bravo to all who went and were willing to talk to those who were opposed to the presence of LGBT people. You were in my prayers daily.
ReplyDeleteThe changing attitudes of people for whom even the discussion of sexual issues is vorboten is a major step forward for those in other countries and of other cultures.
The important thing is that we must not be willing to deny the steps forward that we are still trying to achieve in this nation and within the US culture to secure not rights but opportunities for LGBT folk. The moratoria must be lifted. We cannot continue to deny the vocations of gay/lesbian clergy. We cannot continue to allow homophobia to go unchecked in our own area. And we must have some sort of way of honoring the realtionships of LGBT persons when they come for marriage.
Integrity must continue to lobby for what is important for our Church just as surely as they must support those from other nations to be about speaking out against the homophobia in other places in the world.
If there are just a few more like the hallowed bishop of N. India, we will have used our dues well. Again, huzzah for all those who went and spoke and prayed and made themselves available to those who do not know who we are and are still afraid.