East African deliberations

As a Johnny-come-lately to the blogosphere, I must be careful about sounding too critical. However, there’s no doubt in my mind that, sitting at our computers as many of us have been for the past five days, waiting for the next event in the unfolding drama of the Anglican primates’ meeting in Dar es Salaam, there is a danger of being pressurised to produce a knee-jerk reaction to events when what is needed is time for reflection on a complex situation which, one way or the other, will in time have a profound influence on all of us.

That said, I have been impressed by the generally sober tone of the reactions from people of all shades of opinion that have emerged since the release of the communiqué late yesterday evening. It’s as if, finally, there is a broad (if not universal) consensus of opinion that the matters under consideration are too important for glib and simplistic ‘party’ reactions. The past week’s experience in Dar es Salaam has indeed been a salutary one.

I had hoped to pitch in my own penny worth – for what it’s worth – before the end of the day but, on reflection have little doubt that a day or two’s further reflection will do no harm. On the contrary, the conclusions reached thereafter can only benefit from the passage of a few more hours.