#MoreThanEqual Patron greetings June 2023 - John Bradbury
Channel: Open Table Network
Date: 2023-06-11

At our 2023 national gathering in Cambridge on Saturday 11th June 2023, we heard messages of support from two of the Open Table Network's patrons. The first was from the Revd Dr John Bradbury, General Secretary of the United Reformed Church in Britain, and a founding member of our Open Table Cambridge community. John shared a brief reflection on the theme of our event - More Than Equal. Here's what we mean by that: https://opentable.lgbt/our-blog/2023/5/5/more-than-equal

He said:

'I'm delighted to send my greetings to the Open Table Network gathering for 2023. 

'It was a joy to be with you last year in person, and I'm just sorry I can't be there this year. I'm particularly disappointed not to be with you in Cambridge, a place that's been a significant part of my life's journey and where, with Alison and others a few years ago, we shared the excitement of the early days of Open Table Cambridge. 

'I'm delighted that Open Table in Cambridge, and so many other places, is continuing to grow and thrive. It's a particular joy to me at this moment that the United Reformed Church has been able to fund the Open Table Network with £50,000 pounds to continue to develop its work and help us realize our hope that there will be at least one Open Table community in each of our 13 Synods. This is one of the key ways in which, as a church, we are seeking to allow the true and genuine flourishing of LGBTQIA+ folk throughout the life of the church. 

'One of the stories from scripture that I love is that of the Tower of Babel. It's often read as a vengeful God punishing sinful humanity. I read it very differently, however. Human beings all wanted to be alike they all wanted to speak one language, and all build a tower up to heaven so that they might be like gods. God rejects that uniformity, however. God's choice is for diversity of human cultures, and languages and that choice continues at Pentecost when each person present hears the good news in their own language. 

'To be more than equal is to celebrate diversity and that, of course, is always a challenge, because it means celebrating the diversity of people who are not like we are, and may not like us. in all kinds of ways, much of the New Testament is about just that – the Christian community is getting divided and difficult over differences about who may eat what, say what, do what, and much of the time in his letters, Saint Paul is basically saying ‘Get over yourselves - it's that you are in Christ that matters, not your culture, language, gender, ethnic background, or any of the rest of it. 

'Equality and uniformity might in some ways be easy, although it tends to take a totalitarian regime to attempt to bring it about, and, of course, they end up rather not equal. Rather, to be more than equal is to be called to live with the discomfort of people not like us - who it turns out are our sisters, brothers and siblings - and that's never easy. But Jesus does not promise easy. Jesus promises fullness of life - something I believe we find as we revel in our diversity. 

'So may the God of diversity bless your time together today, and all the ministry and mission of the Open Table Network. Amen.'