In the catechism in the Book of Common Prayer this question is asked: “What is the Summary of the Law?”

The answer given is the same as can be found in Holy Scripture: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

If one were to approach the Bible as a set of rules, instead of a holistic revelation, one would have to deal with the question of conflict. For example, Mark portrays Jesus saying divorce is never permitted. Matthew says Jesus allows divorce in cases of Adultery. There is a disagreement between these two authors. Some will say, "If we do not recognize every injunction in our Holy Book as true how can we assert that it has Authority?"

Jesus had no problem with the Authority question. Jesus had a framework - a benchmark - for determining what might be sinful or not. He was perfectly willing to "violate" one of the Ten Commandments when he wanted to heal on the Sabbath. He did not pull rank saying he was God and could do what he wanted, nor did he deny that healing constituted work, instead he pointed to a principle for his action when he said: who with a sheep stuck in a crevice on the Sabbath would not retrieve it? He was saying that healing is more important than Sabbath rest. He was using a principle to supersede a law. Elsewhere he asked: Was man made for the Sabbath or the Sabbath made for man?

Jesus saw morality contained not in external injunctions written in a book but in a universal internally consistent principle. He said that the love of God and neighbor were the highest virtues and all the law and prophets should be thought of as attempts to bring this objective about.

Paul concurs with the insight of Jesus because he repeatedly reminds us that we are above, beyond, exempt from the law. Paul wasn’t eschewing moral behavior but he agreed with Jesus that the summary and intent of the law and prophets was to inculcate the love of God and humankind in our hearts. Consider that he says in Galatians 5 verse 14: "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

All rightly understood law must be evaluated within this framework.

The real question is about Biblical Authority and it is in this context that one should examine the hot button issues that are found to be divisive in the Church today.

Not all members of Via Media would agree with this exegesis of Scripture. But the point is as Episcopalians one is not required to. Individual interpretation of Scripture is a heritage from the Protestant side of our faith community.

The question of homosexuality is not only of concern to Episcopalians, but is on the front burner of most Christian denominations. Such soul searching has not been seen among Christians since slavery, a given in the Bible, was repudiated.

Reexamination has been a real eye opener for many as exemplified by the change of heart and mind by increasing numbers across all Christian Denominations. The Archbishop of Canterbury thinks, like an increasing number of theologians, that Paul was criticizing not those of a homosexual orientation, but heterosexuals who, against their natures, engage in homosexual activities.

Many traditionalists are coming to the realization that the story of Lot, from which our English word ‘Sodomy” was coined, is not concerned with homosexual behavior, but has the moral that Lot articulated: “But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof."

Certainly, in third world countries, where homosexual behavior brings out the visceral outrage of a very patriarchal, tribal society, one would unconsciously read scripture with a very negative mindset. Your peers would allow no other interpretation