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Mystic Chords of Memory

Cynthia Bolbach

One week ago today, Twin Cities Presbytery became the 87th vote in favor of Amendment 10-A, thereby ensuring its adoption.

In the week since, I have been heartened by the discussion going on across the Web about what this means for us as a denomination. There have been some vitriolic comments, always to be expected because of the high emotion of this issue. But Presbyterians from all points of the spectrum have been stepping foward to talk collegially and respectfully about what this means for all of us. I'm grateful to Robert Austell for compiling a great list of the responses at http://bit.ly/10Aresponses.

About ten days ago, I started reading a wonderful new book about the Civil War. Written by Adam Goodhart, it's called 1861: The Civil War Awakening. It's astonishing to me how much I don't know about the swirling currents within the country in those first six months of 1861. Stay with the Union? Join the Confederacy? Try to ignore the whole thing?

I'm not going to equate our nation's struggle in 1861 with our struggle within the PC (USA) today.

But I have to say that these words from Lincoln's first Inaugural Address resonated with me, in this time and in this place: "We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely as they will be, by the better angels of our nature."

As Presbyterians, we too are bound together by our "mystic chords of memory." We are bound together by our gratitude to those who have gone before us, proclaiming the Gospel in every corner of Christ's kingdom. We are bound together by our common understanding of our Reformed heritage. We are bound together by our appreciation and affection for our Presbyterian polity.

"We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies." 

• Posted at 1:50 p.m.
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