PUBLISHER’S GUEST
by Rev. Michael Hanley
just out
TM
November 2012
Rearranging
The Furniture
I have a simple idea that might change our political and religious conversation.
Several weeks ago I had a workman in my home. While he worked I made phone calls and he must
have heard me talking because as he finished he asked, "Are you a clergyman?" "Yes," I said. "Did you
see the Republican Convention last night?” he asked. "No," I said, "I tend toward the liberal end of the
political spectrum myself." “He thought for a moment and then said, "I am not at all religious but I
thought all churches were conservative.”
As our conversation continued I realized he had a "media given" understanding of religion and reli-
gious people. He mostly heard about the actions of conservative churches and he branded all churches
as conservative. Had he heard about The Episcopal Church’s recent vote in convention to authorize
the use of a rite for the blessing of same gender couples, he might have had to rethink his understand-
ing of religion. As we talked further I told him about my experience of marching in the Portland Gay
Pride parade and I could almost see his internal sense of the world shift as he dealt with a bishop who
believed in gay pride.
This young man told me he considers himself a conservative and yet he also agreed with me about
the right of same gender couples to marry. As we talked I once again found myself surprised by how
he put his worldview together and that conversation has become one more example of why it is time
to stop assuming we can assign political tags as if they were accurate descriptors of how a person or
group understands the world around them.
I am a person who has experienced the presence of God in my life and if we had the time to sit together
over a cup of coffee or a good microbrew we could have a discussion of my experience. Perhaps you
would share your own experience with me of God’s presence or absence in your life. Most likely we
would not agree on everything, but we might be surprised at our agreements and disagreements.
I choose to believe, that is, I give my heart to God’s presence in my life. The experience of God comes
to me as I attend to the deep matters of the heart, listen carefully to another person, and discover their
true self. I believe that true religious and political discourse only happens as we deeply connect with
those who do not share our understanding of the world.
So my simple idea is to invite people to sit at round tables. In the Episcopal House of Bishops we gather
twice a year to talk about our common life together. A decade ago we were a contentious group, often
talking at each other and fighting over our beliefs. But then we were invited to rearrange the furni-
ture and began to sit at round tables with those who disagree with us. Every three years we change
up where we sit and we continually invite newcomers to the House to join a table. This simple act has
made a profound difference in how we work together.
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At our new round tables there is no place of honor, all are equal. In this configuration we see and
hear better, we share food, offer stories of our lives and families and come to know the challenges we
face in the work we all do. We are closer together at round tables rubbing elbows with little ability to
hide ourselves from each other. We have come to love each other more as we have come to know each
other. We have a deeper sense of community now and we act with compassion far more often than in
the past.
It is a simple idea but I would really like to see what would happen if we put round tables on the floor
of the Senate and House of Representatives! §
The Right Reverend Michael Hanley, Episcopal Bishop of Oregon, can be reached at bishop@episcopaldioceseoregon.org.
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November 2012