Bishop Christopher Senyonjo was recently interviewed by Episcopal News Service in a video published on the ENS website. It's a fine profile of Bishop Christopher who was inhibited by the Anglican Church of Uganda in 2001 for his activities in support of inclusion and deposed in 2007 for ordaining a priest while under inhibition, and and who continues his work now as director of the Center for Equality and Reconciliation and has standing as a clergy person in another church in Uganda. Near the beginning of the interview he says this:
"I must try to do my best to educate people that human sexuality is a human phenomena and should be respected."
The whole interview is worth the listen, but the simple statement of Bishop Senyonjo's task is plain speaking at its best, "Human sexuality is a human phenomena and should be respected."
Combating sexual exploitation, brutalization, rape, trafficking in human beings for sexual purposes, inequality of persons because of their gender and protecting those marginalized because of sexual orientation are part of the struggle for equality and reconciliation. That work grows from the place of respect for sexuality, not from the fear of it. As the video suggests, Bishop Senyonjo is not a person of fear, but of hope.
On a good day the Anglican Communion has witnesses to justice and reconciliation such as Bishop Christopher and we can understand why the Anglican Communion is a really good idea.
The ENS publication shows that the Anglican Communion has some good people in it, sort of. That Senyonjo was deposed is no cause for celebration, and The Episcopal Church could properly be embarrassed by being in the same communion as the church in Uganda.
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