June 9, 2008
The Walk
Fred Rogers wanted to meet Koko, the gorilla who had been taught American Sign Language and who had often watched “Mr Rogers’s Neighborhood.” When they met, the huge gorilla gave the diminutive Rogers a big hug, then took off Mister Rogers’s shoes.
It is only too easy to think of a neighborhood more as a place than as a relationship, more realty than reality. In our better moments, we might even call it an outward and visible sign of an inner and spiritual reality. Then maybe we’d be on to something.
To use a neighborly term, this summer’s Lambeth Conference is just around the corner. All those bishops in all those shades of purple. What a vision. There they’ll be from all over the world gathered in one place. But if what we hear is true, some of them will not even speak to one another, and some weren’t even invited. Talk about global warming.
What if we could somehow set aside all of religion’s protective security long enough to allow faith’s openness and risk to have their way? What if we could just find some way to embrace Lambeth as a kind of Big Fat Anglican Wedding and accept it as a rollicking collection of some of those neighbors God wants us to love like ourselves?
Perhaps Koko and Mr Rogers give us a clue. Why not before each plenary gathering the bishops just give one another a big hug, take off a neighbor’s shoes, and dance? Remember the Lambeth Walk?
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