Welcome to “One in the Spirit”

by Susan Russell, Canon for Engagement Across Difference

One in the Spirit is an initiative of the Diocese of Los Angeles focused on deepening and broadening the mission of the Church as outlined in our catechism: “to restore all people to unity
with God and each other in Christ.” In response to the Gospel call to be agents of reconciliation, we envision a recovery of our deep connection to each other and our world so we can participate more fully in the transforming work of love.

What we are striving to build together is our capacity as a diocese to expand relationships and deepen connections across differences in order to strengthen our shared commitment to follow Jesus. Our aspirations include creating conversational communities to drive bridge building across the differences that simultaneously enrich and challenge us as a diverse, multi-cultural diocese utilizing existing diocesan programs and resources as well as creating new ones. We have audacious goals: but the challenges of this present day call for nothing less if we are going to be the change we want to see. Those goals include:

To live more fully into our baptismal promise to respect the dignity of every human being. To proclaim in Christ’s name that we will not submit to our era’s epic division and polarization.
To understand better how barriers of class, race, language, nationality, culture, politics, geography, orientation, and identification blind us to the burning image of the divine in one another. To feed hearts that are hungry for connection and community in a secularizing,
isolating age. To choose not to choose between challenging systemic oppression in all its forms
and respecting the dignity of every single human being.

As 21st century Anglicans we are the spiritual descendants of 16th century Anglicans who chose not to choose between being catholic and protestant in the 16th century … a seemingly impossible thing when people were burning each other at the stake over theological differences.
Claiming that DNA of Anglican comprehensiveness, be believe we are uniquely wired as a community of faith to offer an antidote of hope and joy to the destructive and pervasive narratives of anxiety and fear that fuel division and polarization in our church, our nation and our world.

We are convinced that claiming that core piece or our Anglican identity will equip us to do the work of bridging the differences that challenge us as 21st century disciples … whether theological or political; cultural or generational or any other category that threatens to divide us.