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St. Stephen's Episcopal Church

215 N. 7th, Terre Haute, Indiana

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Toxic Conversation

The Rector's Blog · October 12, 2022

Twitter has a reputation. Much of it is justified. But not all of it. I have found Twitter to be, at times, a humanizing place. Where we see all manner of behavior. And much of it is cries in the wilderness. To be noticed. Befriended. Supported.

Once again, a conversation about Communion dominated what many Episcopalians saw in their feeds. None of it is actually worth getting into without sitting at a table, something to drink, and time to spend.

What dominated the discourse was, once again, misplaced understanding, strident certainty, and anxious vitriol. It struck many of us as sadly tragic. What a waste of time, and more importantly, opportunity.

Sometimes we feel justified in getting angry on behalf of the oppressed. And sometimes  we feel justified in getting angry at the angry. And then, sometimes, we feel justified in getting angry that anyone gets angry. Without the hint of irony. Or introspection. Or, more importantly, fidelity to why the first anger is fundamentally different than the second. Or third.

I get tired of these spats because they make a terrible Christian witness. They also make our church look petty, snotty, and abusive. And while it is easy to throw the whole thing away (“that’s Twitter!”), doing so without dealing with what it reveals, particularly abuse, is, itself, something far short of righteous.

With love,
Drew

Filed Under: The Rector's Blog Tagged With: communication, communion, conversation, twitter, What's Going On

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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
215 N. 7th St
Terre Haute, IN 47807

812-232-5165

officeadmin@ststephensth.org

ABOUT

St. Stephen’s is a sacramental community following Jesus’s Way of Love.

We worship on Sundays at 8 & 10.

AFFILIATIONS

St. Stephen’s is a member of The Episcopal Church and congregation of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis.

St. Stephen’s is a member of the Wabash Valley Homeless Coalition

PARKING

St. Stephen’s is across from Indiana State University. Nearby parking lots are run by ISU and are free after 5pm weekdays and are free all weekend long. 

Five marked spots in the lot directly behind the church are available during the week.

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