Carved in StoneYou hear people say, “Well, it’s not carved in stone yet.” That seems to imply that things may change. We’ve heard that said a lot recently as Presbyterians discuss the votes that will come in the presbyteries this year concerning gay and lesbian ordination. The vote at the recent General Assembly doesn’t change anything unless the presbyteries ratify it. And even if they do, next year’s General Assembly could change things again. And even if they carved it in stone (which is not likely since Presbyterians tend to use too many words to fit on one stone) the situation could change again. Only God knows how this matter will be resolved, and any resolution that is not the will of God shall not stand, whether it’s carved in stone or entered into a computer. At General Assembly meetings and at presbytery meetings, Presbyterian commissioners prayerfully try to discern the will of God. The fact that it’s not revealed to everyone at once with a single bolt of lightning does not mean that people aren’t truly Christian in their approach. They hear different messages because they are different people, not all on the same life journey. We pray when we gather as Jesus taught us: “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Until we reach the point where we really understand what that means, we can all rest securely in the knowledge that God’s love is unchanging, even if earthly changes leave us confused and scared; even when the meanings of carvings in stone are obscured by the mists of time. Jane Hines
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