“Rev. Schaefer must be punished.” I just heard those words from the mouth of an NPR reporter quoting a UMC spokesperson concerning the trial of Rev. Frank Scheafer who, nearly seven years ago, conducted a wedding ceremony for his gay son and his spouse.
Wow–that is what The United Methodist Church is about? Someone “must be punished?” Now, I agree that Rev. Schaefer did violate the Discipline. OK, I’m going to admit it: I’ve been in violation of The Discipline for years, because the church I pastor does NOT have a chartered United Methodist Women’s organization.
I’m in violation of the Discipline. I now “must be punished” as well.
I await the charges to be filed against me and the trial. By all means, let us be a punitive church. We shall show the world how to out-Pharisee the apocryphal Pharisee who kept an eagle eye on everyone in order to pounce upon even the slightest violation of the law.
Remember Mark, chapter 3? It’s one of my very favorite passages and reads this way: “Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there who had a withered hand. They watched him to see whether he would cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him.”
Who cares that someone might be healed and be able then to live a life of productive dignity? Nope, let’s just accuse Jesus of a law violation and see if we can shut this heretic down. Yes, Jesus “must be punished.”
What kind of a church are we, anyway?
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