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Incoming Presbyterian Moderator Dr Trevor Morrow says it is now time for Presbyterians to 'reach out our hands to those who have caused us pain and offer forgiveness.'
In an address delivered at the opening session of the Presbyterian General Assembly (7.00pm June 5 Church House, Belfast) after he was installed as Moderator, Dr Morrow directly addressing Presbyterians said, 'I want us to rediscover our role and calling on this island at this time... now is the time for us to reach out our hand to those who have caused us pain and to offer forgiveness. This is so difficult. Of course it may be rejected. Above all else, this is what I would love Presbyterians in Ireland to be known for: that we are a forgiven and forgiving people because we believe in the priority of grace.'
Recalling the Presbyterian tradition of being dissenters, Dr Morrow said this was something that Presbyterians needed to rediscover. ' From the 16th century we have been a movement for reformation and renewal. We have been thran, awkward and difficult at times. In our history we have defied prelates, priests and popes. On occasions, we have defended Monarchs or encouraged rebellion. We have always been such an amazing mixture of social and ethnic background. But, the one controlling factor in all of this was that we would not accept any other ultimate authority except Jesus himself.'
Describing the present time as a 'these momentous days in the history of Ireland' the Moderator saw the opportunity for the emergence of congregations that would be 'different from the tribal allegiances of the past.' 'Women and men who are Celts and Anglo Saxons, Republicans and Unionists, those who feel comfortable speaking Irish, or Ulster Scots or English., Hurlers and Cricketers, IT consultants and Shipyard Welders, held together in one fellowship not by cultural identity or political aspiration but... only that they are followers of Jesus... Such communities will represent on this island the true radical dissenting tradition and without a doubt, as in our Presbyterian past, they will be extremely unsettling to the political and religious establishment.'
One of the youngest Moderators ever, and the first from the Republic of Ireland for 36 years, Dr Morrow has taken as his theme for his year of office 'Jesus for the Twenty First Century.' Addressing the congregation of 1200 delegates and invited guests including President of Ireland, Mrs Mary McAleese Dr Morrow drew direct parallels between the church of the first century and that of today.
Quoting words from 'The Island' written by Strabane singer songwriter Paul Brady, the Moderator said that his line written in the 80's about the troubles 'Up here we sacrifice our children to the worn out dreams of yesterday' could just as well have been written in the Galilee of the first century as could a volume of David McKitterick and his journalist colleagues book 'Lost Lives'. The Galilee into which Jesus came was a 'painful caldron of ethnic Nationalism, religious piety and cynical secularism.'
Two aspects of the ministry of Jesus are as important to us in Ireland in the 21st century as they were to the residents of Galilee in the first century, namely a call to repentance and a declaration of complete forgiveness.
In his call to repentance Jesus was summoning his hearers to give up their whole way of life, their national and social agendas, and to trust him for a different agenda, a different set of goals. This of course, included a change of heart, but went far beyond it.
'The good news/ the gospel can only be heard in the 21st century if we realise that we in Ireland, North and South, have got it entirely wrong,' said the Moderator. 'It is not just that we are personally responsible for our private sins from which we need to turn, no the call of Jesus to repent is much more demanding than that. It means a total change of direction both personally and corporately. Here on this island, our expectations, our agenda, the paradigm within which we think and act, the attitudes and fears and prejudices which we have imbibed from our mothers milk, in fact all of those things which have fed and nourished an ethnic and political tribalism, of this we must repent if we are to believe and live and share in the good news of the kingdom.'
The second aspect flowed from the Galilean thinking centered on a religion based on law 'When you did what was right (according to the law) -God rewarded you. When you did what was wrong - he punished you. It's still a popular theology, even today,' continued Dr Morrow. 'Their assumption was that the more they sought to keep the law, the more righteous they were - the more God would hear their prayers and specifically - he would fulfil their messianic dreams and would bring peace to their land... The clear implications were that their political and national aspirations were dependent upon the keeping of the Law. That is if they did what was right they would receive what they deserve. Their enemies, too would get what they deserved. They would be defeated and a new day would dawn.
'Now, in comparison and contrast,' said the Moderator, 'the message of Jesus is totally different. Instead, it is declaration of complete forgiveness. What he offers is not for those who have kept the law but for those who have broken the law. This is not for those who are in the right but for those who are in the wrong. This is not something we have merited it is something that we do not deserve.'
'Here then is the sign of the kingdom, of how things ought to be,' continued Dr Morrow. 'Jesus begins to establish this new community from the alienated and lost in society. And he invites his followers to make disciples of all nations, from all the wrong sort of people. Women and men from every social and ethnic background, nationally and internationally. And the only thing they have in common is that they have been forgiven and are followers of Jesus... This is the Jesus of the gospels. He is the only one we know for Ireland in the 21st century.'
'As Christians, we in Ireland in the 21st century, have an apparently impossible task. We have as neighbours and friends, ordinary people who are paralysed by sectarianism or are in bondage to secular materialism or to use the language of the apostle Paul - they are just spiritually dead. There are days when we just seem to be enveloped in oppressive, hopeless darkness. The greatest need of this hour is for Irish women and men to hear again the powerful liberating word of Christ: for listening to his voice new life the dead receive.
'If we are a reformed church, ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda , that is reformed and always reforming, then as we meet in Assembly and plan strategically for this new millennium, then there ought to be no political traditions that we will not question, no cultural customs that we will not challenge, no sacred cows that we will not sacrifice, so that this generation will not only see Jesus but hear the faith empowering word of God,' concluded the Moderator Dr Morrow.
Before installing his successor the outgoing Moderator Dr John Lockington had addressed the Assembly commenting on his year of office and calling on all paramilitary groups to remove their threat and prove their commitment to democratic politics by immediately decommissioning all their weapons.
'This year of intense political activity has witnessed the restoration of devolution to Northern Ireland which is again experiencing locally elected politicians taking decisions. It is only being realistic to acknowledge that many problems remain and as Christians we are called to remember all politicians in our prayers as they seek to fulfil the responsibilities given them by the electorate,' said Dr Lockington.
'Most serious of all is the continuing threat of violence and I would reiterate that decommissioning is both a moral imperative and a political necessity. The continuing intimidation, from whatever quarter it comes, which distresses individuals, disturbs families and destroys communities is utterly evil and is to be condemned. So I call on all paramilitary groups to abandon violence, end intimidation, remove their threat and prove their commitment to democratic politics by immediately decommissioning all their weapons.'
Dr Lockington also expressed concern that as peace develops victims may become forgotten and he called on the Church to be ever mindful of them and their needs. 'There is a danger that as peace develops many in society want to get on with their lives and victims can be forgotten. As a Church we need to keep their need for pastoral care ever before us and to challenge Governments and the Authorities to ensure that they are not overlooked, marginalised or ignored.'
The Assembly continues its meeting in Church House, Belfast until Friday, June 9, discussing issues including proposed changes to television advertising, the Northern Ireland situation, provision of sheltered housing for people with learning disability and ethical investment. Business sessions and Assembly Worship at lunchtime 12noon 1.00pm, conducted by the Moderator and Dr Leighton Ford are open to the non members of Assembly.
Issued by Stepen Lynas, Presbyterian Information Services. Info@PresbyterianIreland.org
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