Sailing on the Moselle...

To many Europeans the Rhine is “Old Man River” or “Father River” whose favorite daughter is the Moselle.  Before this year, I hadn’t traveled on or alongside this smaller daughter river, but I agree that when you make the turn from the Rhine around the Kaiser Wilhelm monument at Koblenz, a stunning region gets even more beautiful. We have been on the Moselle all day today, visiting the thousand-year-old Reichsburg Castle in Cochem before going on to Remich tonight.  We’ll have some time in Luxembourg tomorrow.

Margaret and I like the small-ship river cruises where most of the people we meet are good company... even though we sometimes get seated at a table for a meal with a 21st Century reincarnation of Marie Antoinette or the Sun King himself. The majority of tourists on these managed tours are folks who have not lost their sense of being firmly fixed in the American middle class.  Most of us are aware the wealthiest Americans don’t book on tourist groups.  We are generally a comfortably affluent clutch of retired people who are grateful to have come to the this time in our lives with enough income to travel modestly.  

Yesterday we were seated at dinner next to a fellow who, although he hails from the Disney World part of Florida instead of an American equivalent of Versailles, considers himself to be one of America’s entitled class.  I can’t tell this story without naming his profession, with apologies to my Episcopalian friends.  Here’s here’s the way it went:

Margaret asked a fellow seated last night at a table with us what he had done to make a living before he retired.  He said he had been an Episcopal priest.  She then asked in the course of the conversation that followed, "Our book discussion group in San Diego has read a couple of books by retired Bishop John Spong. What do you think about him?"  He sat straighter in his chair, his face clouded, and he said, "I can’t stand Spong.  He's destroying the church.  He is a disgrace."  

Well, I happen to respect and applaud Bishop Spong’s courage and his intelligent response to his church’s reluctance in the past to affirm the equality of women with men in ecclesiastical matters and church office. I asked my dinner companion if he knew the work of Joseph Fletcher, particularly his book Situation Ethics, which was published in the late 50‘s or 60s.  I told him the circumstances which made possible a good friendship I enjoyed with Joe Fletcher before he died at age 94 and reminded him that Fletcher, Spong an other good, courageous clerics were responsible for saving the church from being largely ignored in the past two decades, particularly by people who are committed to causes of social justice for all people.

I suggested to my dinner companion that his church is better off without him as an active priest.  He is one of many in churches who are more committed to excluding people rather than including them.  I went on to say I didn't have to guess what his feelings are about the elevation and consecration of Bishop Robertson.  He blanched and rolled his eyes.  I asked him if he has children.  He said "No" as if it were a statement of achievement.  Margaret put her hand on my knee to signal that I should consider not going on with the discussion… but I went on anyway to say that if he had made some children of his own he might have developed some understanding of the church’s metaphor which presents the Christian god as a father.  I said I can imagine his objection to Spong and Robertson has something to do with their declaring that the Christian God loves and affirms all "His" children.  I was on a roll at this point… Although I was trying to speak quietly to him, others at the table were listening.  I stopped only after I told him that Margret and I have a son who is gay, like Bishop Robertson, and that he is absolutely the very best son any parents could have… that we wouldn't change anything about him… not anything… but that there are all kinds of things I would change about the church if I had some kind of magic to accomplish it… like ending exclusionary practices and hate language and rejection that John Spong has committed himself to exposing and ending.  I smiled as convincingly as I could and told him again how glad I am that he is retired from a job that should attract persons with a better understanding of the Christian Gospel.  He excused himself from the table without saying good night. 

By the way, I went (with Margaret urging me not to do it) to the table where he was sitting alone at breakfast this morning and said good morning as pleasantly as I might say it to a brother.  I asked if we might join him for breakfast.  He didn’t say anything but pointed to the empty chairs.  I was careful to say only kind things.  Later today, a guy who had been at the table with us last night came to me and thanked me… and told me the retired priest is a birther who insists President Obama was born in Africa.