It has been an interesting week in the Law and Gospel department.  The Churchwide Assembly of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has been meeting in Minneapolis and the high-profile topics have been related to same-sex relationships, both regarding the church’s role in civil union and marriage as well as serving in church office.  It is interesting to listen to the Lutherans work through their business and note the similarities (getting hung up in parliamentary procedure, standing in line for microphones, the arguments on both sides of the same-sex relationships issues) and the differences (bishops, technical terminology, theological distinctives). 

One of the most interesting things to me is that in their arguments regarding same-sex issues there was a recurring theme of Law and Gospel.  While this argument always comes up in a variety of forms in these debates and discussions, my impression is that it is more prominent here than in Presbyterian discussions, probably because it was a major emphasis of Martin Luther‘s work.  We Reformed deal in Depravity and Election, Lutherans appear to wrestle with Law and Gospel.  We talk about translations and confessions, New Testament passages and Old Testament patterns.  They were discussing the various categories of Levitical laws and how they have been superseded or replaced by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the grace of God.

At the bottom line there is nothing really new in the arguments.  But what struck me was how our slightly different theological perspectives change the emphasis and focus of the arguments we make.

Maybe the most exciting (not necessarily in a good sense) external event at the Churchwide Assembly was a tornado touching down next to the convention center and damaging the far end of the building as well as the Lutheran church across the street.

Got to love the City Pages blog that writes:

So what happens when you crowd thousands of Lutherans in a convention center and a tornado comes along? Nothing. The humble folk of Scandinavian heritage took news of the storm as calmly as one would take news of a church potluck.

(Actually, Lutherans go nuts over potlucks. So that comparison is off a bit.)

But there was a predictable response, or at least the Twitter crowd predicted it, from certain quarters that this tornado was a sign or punishment from God related to the same-sex topics. (So PC(USA) be warned for your meeting there next year, although there was no such sign for the Presbyterians last year in San Jose or the Episcopalians this year in Anaheim.)  The most prominent of those declaring the possibility of God’s warning was Minneapolis Baptist minister John Piper writing in his blog.  And because of his high profile it did get news coverage in both the regular as well as religious press.  (And with 492 comments to that post, at the moment, it struck a nerve with readers as well.)

So another variation on Law and Gospel — The message of punishment is a message from God that His Law has been transgressed.  There is still a place for Law in the Law and Gospel tension.

But in the Law and Gospel debate this week there has been an even more widely and hotly discussed topic — the release of the Lockerbie bomber from Scottish prison on compassion grounds.  The Church of Scotland was in favor of the release and issued this statement:

The Church of Scotland today praised the decision that meant Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi was released today on compassionate grounds by Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill.

Rev Ian Galloway, Convener of the Church and Society Council of the Church of Scotland said:

“This decision has sent a message to the world about what it is to be Scottish. We are defined as a nation by how we treat those who have chosen to hurt us. Do we choose mercy even when they did not choose mercy?

This was not about whether one man was guilty or innocent. Nor is it about whether he had a right to mercy but whether we as a nation, despite the continuing pain of many, are willing to be merciful. I understand the deep anger and grief that still grips the souls of the victims’ families and I respect their views. But to them I would say justice is not lost in acting in mercy. Instead our deepest humanity is expressed for the better. To choose mercy is the tough choice and today our nation met that challenge.

We have gained something significant as a Nation by this decision. It is a defining moment for all of us.”

I found it interesting that it was about being Scottish and not distinctly being Christian.  In an interview with CNN Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill echoes this.  Some of his responses:

MacAskill: Well, each and every compassionate release that has been granted, and there have been 30 granted since the year 2000, is done under individual circumstances. And as we were seeing, in Scotland, justice is equally tempered with mercy. Those who commit an offense must be punished and have to pay a price.

Equally, we have values that we seek to live by, even if those who perpetrate crimes against us have not respected us or shown any compassion. Here is a dying man. He didn’t show compassion to the victims, American or Scottish. That does not mean that we should lower ourselves, debase ourselves, or abandon our values.

He was justly convicted, but we’re allowing him some mercy to return home to die.

[snip]

And certainly this atrocity was a barbarity that we have never experienced before in our small country. And it’s a barbarity we hope will never be replicated here, nor would we wish it anywhere else.

But equally, the Scottish justice system is predicated upon justice being enforced, but mercy and compassion being capable of being shown.

Many around the world were not in favor of the release, including the U.S. Government, victim’s families, and airline pilots.

Scanning the news reports I see more objection from this side of the Atlantic.  But again, it challenges us as to how we hold Law and Gospel, judgment and mercy in this case, in tension.  This compassionate release appears to be a more accepted in the U.K. than in the U.S.  But it is not unheard of here as a California news item today shows.  Very different crimes, but both releases on compassionate grounds for terminally ill prisoners convicted of murder.

Update: T
here are now posts from or about Scottish pastors who have weighted in on the release.  There is a piece about Fr. Patrick Keegans,  who visited the prisoner in jail, believes he is innocent, and welcomes the release.  On the other side, there is a post by Church of Scotland minister the Rev. Ian Watson who argues that forgiveness and compassion are the place of the individual and not the state.  Maybe most interesting are his comments about how his thinking changed over the days following the release.

While you may come down on one side or the other of each of these examples, each is a strong reminder that our God is a God of both Law and Gospel.  God has set down laws and requirements for us to meet.  There are definite rules to be followed and consequences if we don’t.  But in the end, we as humans are incapable of fulfilling the Law and our only hope of salvation and eternal life is the Gospel.  Now, as the people of God, how do we model and balance the Law we are under and the Gospel that has ultimately saved us in our everyday lives.

Good luck and let’s be careful out there.