One of the reasons for the lack of posts recently is that I've traveled to my cousin's wedding. The liturgy was truly beautiful, combining both reverence for God and the solemnity of marriage, and the earthy irreverence that so characterizes my cousin (and most of my family).Now, I'm a Catholic. My cousin was raised at least nominally Catholic. I don't know what kind of religious background her husband has. The ceremony was Episcopalian. And this caused me a deep ache, as if the very marrow of my bones was both compacted and stretched out at the same time.
I have nothing personal against Episcopalians, or the Anglican Communion. I have, of course, theological disagreements; but those are not the cause of my pain. My pain comes from the division between the members of Christ's Body.
I realize that I place an importance on religion and theology that is, well, statistically abnormal. I see religion as something foundational to every aspect of life, and therefore one of the least negotiable parts of one's life. Most people I talk to seem to take religion as a means of connecting with their spirituality and/or their community, and therefore as something fairly, even essentially, changeable. So I'm not sure quite how to approach people without coming off as a zealot or a "Stepford" Catholic.
At the same time, I really don't understand how so many Christians can simply tolerate -- or even celebrate! -- the ongoing divisions between the "denominations" of Christianity. As I say, it causes me a pain that has physical manifestations. I hate that I was unable to share Communion with my cousin at her wedding. I hate that I am unable to share Communion with many of my close friends.
I just don't quite know what to do to encourage a resolution to this situation.
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One of my professors is an ecumenist who has officially represented Rome in ecumenical dialogues for decades. She has many close friendships among non-Catholic Christians and when they celebrate eucharist at the meetings she finds it extremely painful that they are unable to receive communion together. To some people the best solution is to ignore the Church's teaching on not receiving, but my professor has another answer. She says that she views the pain as a fast. Her abstention from receiving eucharist with her separated brothers and sisters is an ascetic act done in the service of truth and for the unity of the Church.
So, one answer to your question ("How do I encourage a resolution?") is to offer up the pain of not receiving as a fast for Christian unity. I think the fact that you are scandalized by the division of the Church is a great start. If we are not even scandalized by the divisions, we will never put in the serious effort it is going to take to solve them. Fasting doesn't hide our divisions. It highlights them while working to overcome them.
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