Theological tidbit of the day - the last century was a time of great work towards the forging of unity within the Christian Church. Beginning with Anglican/Orthodox discussions in the early 1900's, between St. Tikhon of Moscow and Bishop Charles Grafton - Bishop of the Episcopal Church, this century proved to be one in which amazing strides were made toward unification of the separated Churches. Tikhon and Bp. Grafton have deep connections with Nashotah House, where Tikhon was awarded an honorary doctorate. Grafton was the bishop of nearby Fond du Lac. They brought a shockwave when they were pictured in the Living Church, dressed in full episcopal regalia, at the consecration of Grafton's suffragan, Bp. Weller, in which Tikhon and a bishop of the Polish National Church assisted in the laying on of hands. This permanently brought Eastern Orthodox Episcopal roots into the Anglican Communion for the first time in many centuries, in fact since East/West separation.

St. Tikhon of Moscow is one of the great saints of the Russian Orthodox Church. While Bishop of All Russia and Moscow, he was martyred in the Communist Revolution in 1925, during the supression of the Church.

This is just the first of many attempts an union, including the ARCIC commission resulting from Vatican II, and the Consultation on Church Union. Another great moment was when the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, held a common service with Pope John Paul II.

It is unfortunate that innovations such as the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church, and extreme groups in the Church, liberal and conservative, have quenched the spirit of union in the Church. One day, however, all of this will be overcome.