Heavy Company

Last night, I had the distinct pleasure of visiting with three of the Anglican Communion's most distinguished leaders. Bishop Alex Dickson, a native Mississippian, is the step-father of one of my close friends, Graham Schuyler. Bishop Dickson is a delightful and genteel man of God who "speaks my language" in his own words. There are a lot of corrolations between the Mississippi Delta and Black Belt Alabama. In the 1960s, he showed a lot of courage in his defense of civil rights. I guess serving on a destroyer in the Pacific during WWII would instill that grit.

Also there was Bishop Fitz Allison, a brilliant and equally genteel South Carolinian who I am indebted to for my understanding of the Gospel. His works include The Rise of Moralism and The Cruelty of Heresy. From him, I learned that Thomas Aquinas in his purest form was not far from Martin Luther in the realm of justification. The nice part was his patience and graciousness in the face of my youthful ignorance.

Last, but not least, was Bishop John Rogers, the former Dean/President of Trinity. I learned last night that he studied with Karl Barth in Switzerland. Wow! He is a delightful man. NOEL will be honoring he and his wife Blanche at the Hope and A Future Conference for their advocacy for the unborn. He is one of the prime movers on the orthodox side of the current debate.

All in all, it was a very encouraging evening in a very uncertain time. We have some real heavyweights.