The Possibility of Difference

I spent a teaching day recently with a group of clergy and lay leaders talking about what the Church of England is doing around equal marriage. It was a fascinating day. We began by being honest about how we felt to be there - and I may have been the only person to use the word ‘optimistic’! Of course I’m optimistic.  I’m a gay man and an evangelical. I’ve heard all sorts of things said about me, and had many other things said elsewhere reported to me. I’ve had lovely people on the internet call me names I’ve had to look up to understand. I’ve been offered conversion therapy more times than you’d believe (once at Lambeth Palace, no less) and some genuine psychotherapy too - which was (honestly) more useful. I’ve been treated as a second class human being before I came out, and worse since. I’ve been pulled apart (anonymously, but pretty searingly) on Livestream at General Synod, and few things compare to an in-private character assassination from a bishop who’s just met you and did...