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ST. GEORGE, SC: Reflections from the Trial: Week Two
COMMENTARY
By Ladson F. Mills III
Special to Virtueonline
www.virtueonline.org
July 20, 2014
“I have never considered a difference in politics, in religion, in philosophy as a cause for withdrawing from a friend” wrote Thomas Jefferson to his friend William Hamilton in 1800. After two weeks in a South Carolina courtroom it is increasingly evident that the current state of affairs has produced a much different attitude from that expressed by Jefferson. There is contentiousness and embitterment cementing partisan attitudes which often seem more concerned with winning than in discerning right from wrong.
If anyone who previously accepted that the strategy of “litigate till they capitulate” is not destructive they would be hard pressed to believe it now. Like oil and water the American System of Jurisprudence and the Body of Jesus Christ do not mix. The Christian faith may warn against seeing the speck in a neighbors eye while ignoring the log in our own, but in the courtroom this is often routine.
For those attending the trial it is hard to accept once we entered the legal system we lost control of our destiny. A community whose definitive standard is tolerance and inclusiveness now finds itself under the jurisdiction of a system which demands strict adherence to the rule of law as lawyers for the national church discovered this week to their determent. Historic titles and colorful shirts which are such an accepted and important part of our lives count for little when called to the witness stand. The bearer may be politely received but all that matters is the content of the testimony.
In spite of the extended and lengthy trial the legal issues remain clear. At the conclusion the only opinion that matters will rendered by the judge guided by South Carolina property law. The frustration expressed by many clergy that “Her Honor” does not understand the underlying theological issues or the observation that she sometimes seems impolite are of no consequence.
The legal community is known to believe that a bad settlement is preferable to a good trial and I have witnessed nothing that would dispute their observation. This may be considered a step toward the eventual big show in the US Supreme Court but I cannot help but wonder if mediation would have been preferable. The money spent in funding this could provide support for much needed ministry.
So for those who have held off until the finale in order to see who wins I can save you a trip to St George. I have no idea how the judge will rule but I do know that once the Holy Church of God and Body of Jesus Christ chose to submit to the culture to settle differences there can no winner. As the Marquis de Lafayette said to George Washington as he received the surrender at Yorktown effectively ending the American Revolution, “The play sir, is over.”
And so it is for us. The play is over but like the play of which the young Marquis was bearing witness perhaps this too will bode well for hopeful beginnings to usher in a new day.
Ladson F. Mills III is a priest with over thirty years pastoral experience. He lives with his wife in South Carolina. He currently serves as Scholar in Residence at the church of Our Saviour, Johns Island He is a regular contributor to Virtueonline
