As some of you reading this know, I was very fortunate and privileged to spend a week in America recently at a meeting focused on the Anglican Church in Botswana. I can almost hear you wondering - why America to talk about Botswana?  Well, the answer is to do with the very high price of air fares to Southern Africa at the moment because of the World Cup; America was cheaper all round.  I have had a lot of teasing both before I went and since I came back -   “Have a nice holiday!” ; then  “We hope you’ve enjoyed your holiday.” and so on. 

 

Well, it was work and I assure you that we did in fact work very hard indeed, but I would not even try to pretend that it was not enjoyable too.  I had a terrific time!  I had the most delightful and learned hosts; all the people I met were incredibly hospitable and the food was wonderful.  A favourite moment was when we were having lunch in a Diner  - you’ll see I have picked up the language – and the young woman asked what we would like to drink. The others ordered various cold beers but I said  ‘Bring me whatever you think I would like.’  Along came the order; I looked at it, sniffed it, tasted it – Newcastle Brown Ale ! ‘I thought you would like that.’, said the young waitress.  Talking of cold beers, the temperature was 92^OF the last couple of days I was there.

 

Very importantly, the visit was a great success in terms of the discussions about Botswana and I feel that we made some real progress.  As for everything else, I just learned such a lot in my short visit and I am very grateful for that.

 

On a very serious note, however, I did have quite a hard time on several occasions when conversations strayed in the direction of either BP or the Archbishop of Canterbury. 

 

First the Archbishop.  As I am sure you know, there are two major issues which are causing tension in the Anglican Church around the world at the moment  - one is the ordination of women as Bishops and the other concerns matters of human sexuality. In America of course they have managed to combine these two sensitive issues by ordaining two people – one a woman - as bishops who are in same sex relationships!   You will all have your own thoughts about the appropriateness of this,  but the Archbishop of Canterbury finds himself in the unenviable position of having to try and hold together very opposing views, with many (not all) African church leaders finding these things very difficult and yet the Americans going ahead regardless.  It is difficult because there is no doubt that the Americans have broken ranks in terms of an agreement reached some years ago and in doing so they have hurt and offended others. If it came down to a vote, the African churches would win by a long way – but is numerical supremacy always right?  One could argue that in history, advancement and progress often only come when people step out of line.  But of course if you are the most powerful country in the world, does stepping out of line amount to an abuse of position?  These are difficult questions to which there are no “quick fix” type answers.

 

Before we leave the Archbishop, it is important just to remember that in early July there will be a very important debate in General Synod about the ordination of women as bishops in the Church of England. I have said before that I am unequivocally in favour of this but having said that, we need to listen to the arguments carefully and not ride roughshod over those with contrary views.  We also need to remember our senior clergy as they guide Synod through this debate.

 

Moving on to BP. We have seen on the TV and in the press how much anger there is in America about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and I was certainly very aware of it in the press and on television. It would seem from the evidence emerging that some serious mistakes were made by BP,  however, there needs to be a bit of balance in the debate, particularly the anti-British tone of the rhetoric.  The developed world has this rapacious appetite for oil and probably nowhere moreso than in America. The consumption per person there is more than 3 times the consumption here; their gas prices – sorry, petrol prices – at the pump are about one fifth of the cost here; the oil field that has caused all the problems contains 300 million barrels but that on its own would provide enough oil for America for only 10 days;  the people of the Niger Delta in west Africa have endured a disaster the equivalent of an oil tanker spill ever six months for the last 40 years – there are lakes of crude oil and leaking pies all over the region.  

 

The truth is that all of us in the developed world and indeed the developing world, need to curb our consumption of oil because it is running out – never mind the green issues.  As the oil runs out, the environmental cost of extracting the rest will grow in terms of cost and risk taking.  The oil rig, Deepwater Horizon  at the centre of this crisis cost $500,000 a day to rent. And of course in all this,  we must not forget the 11 workers killed in the explosion.  A little post script – on June 22^nd a court in Louisiana overturned President Obama’s ban on drilling for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. The case was brought by American oil companies backed by powerful politicians!

 

What a complex world.  But what a wonderful world.  What a privilege it was to be able to talk about Botswana, the Church in America, the Archbishop and oil with groups of people who in the end, are all striving to work with God to further God’s Kingdom here on earth. And how wonderful to think of them now as friends.

 

Have a lovely summer