Open the doors to inclusion

After the recent announcement of the Church of England Synod’s decision to approve the appointment of women bishops, I couldn’t help but say to myself, “Keep calm and hurry up already!” This is especially significant to our celebration in the Episcopal Church of the 40th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood on July 29, 1974.

My sense is that most of the fights we have in our body politic — be it church or society — are related to our comfort or discomfort with inclusion. Who is in and who is out is at the root of most of our disagreements; much of our resistance to inclusion is guided by an economy of scarcity, the attitude that there isn’t enough for everybody. In the face of those fears, some clench their fists while others open their arms to embrace change.

We see this in our battles for inclusion over the last two centuries, including the abolition of slavery, signified by movement toward emancipation through civil war and the engagement of Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. Then there was the Suffrage Movement that signified the inclusion of women as full citizens with franchise. The modern Civil Rights Movement followed this in the 1960s, also signified by the right to vote. Most recently, we have battled over affording lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons the same civil rights as others.

While we have a long way to go in terms of full inclusion, we have made significant progress.

In Rochester, many landmark events converge with our lived experience, calling us to soul-searching reflection. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act that opened a legitimate door of inclusion to all persons of color to pursue their dreams. Ironically, July 24th was the 50th anniversary of the infamous race riots of Rochester. We have a history to learn from and a future to pursue with a certain degree of self-responsibility.

The Episcopal Church bears a few significant scars from this embattled history, especially in its struggle to invite persons of color, women, and persons with different gender orientations into ordained ministry. These doors of hospitality, which were opened through struggle and controversy, have enabled a whole new demographic of gifted persons to participate fully in governance and worship.

More doors wait to be opened. In my opinion, recent opposition to immigrant children possibly making our city their surrogate home is yet another expression of the fear of inclusion. That fear seems to come down to a perceived need for control, which prevents generous hospitality. I am not suggesting irresponsible leadership. I am suggesting that inclusion helps us address the spiritual/psychological issue of letting go during change, helping us calm down and emit more light than heat.

As the popular tune from Disney’s Frozen suggests, I hope we can each be calm enough in our soul and in our skin to welcome the stranger among us and “let it go.” Eventually we all do!

Bishop Singh is VIII Episcopal Bishop of Rochester, N.Y.