The end of the beginning and/or the beginning of the end

Have you ever come to a traffic jam and slowed to an absolute crawl? Have you ever then found out the traffic jam was because someone had broken down or had a traffic accident and the snail's pace was because everyone was looking at the accident victim's car?

That's what I'm feeling this morning as I read Facebook and see in many, many places that the Love Your Neighbor Coalition announced last night that the Council of Bishops is working with a broad base of United Methodists to develop a plan for separation of that denomination to come before a special General Conference in 2018.

And the traffic slowed to a crawl as we all look at the accident victim.

Questions come to mind. How on earth would the churches be able to decide which "denomination" they go with? Who will own the church buildings and the church moneys? Who will appoint pastors? Who will pay for the pension and medical? Is it the end of apportionments? 

For those readers of mine who don't know what I'm talking about, well, I normally don't know what I'm talking about. But in a sentence of explanation, General Conference -- the governing body of the United Methodist Church that meets ever four years -- has devolved into those for changing the rule book (Book of Discipline) of the denomination to allow LGBT candidates become ordained and to change the wording in the same book that would take out the phrase "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, and those who want it to stay the same." Whew, that's a Pauline sentence in its length and breadth. Conservatives, those who don't want the changes, have the votes to ensure that the changes won't happen, it seems.

So, "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot." In other words, there seems to be no compromise possible. Schism, that division that seems to pop up consistently, seems to have moved closer to reality.

Frankly, I don't care any more. I've written, prayed, talked, and did I mention prayed, that we could be civil, together, and  figure out these differences. Neither side is giving an inch, so both sides are trying to take a mile. Protests, silent and loud, have popped up darn near every day of GC so far. What we need is a Diet of Worms moment (google it...).

I've heard and read a thousand bloggers or so of which I am the least, and what I can tell you is that both sides are not budging. 

So, we stare at the accident, and nothing moves across the global church except discord.

Everyone seems to be yakking about what John Wesley would think of all this. Not me. I go straight to the source. 

WWJT. What would Jesus think?