Whoever he was, Jesus’ brother or Mr Nobody, he knew his onions. In his letter he draws the reader’s attention to minuscule items that prove overwhelmingly important – the bit in a house’s mouth, the rudder of a ship, the tongue of a man. Yes, the tongue of a man. We know all about the importance of oil-leaks, a missing nail on a horse-shoe, a warning light on a heater, a trigger on a mixing -machine, but the tongue of a man – what about that?
Some men have diverted the course of history by their oratory or their breaking of a confidence or their defiance. Lenin changed Russia after disembarking from his sealed train. Cromwell changed England after putting the king on trial. And Athanasius made a fateful decision about the nature of the Christianity. His name appears on in the Book of Common Prayer under the unlikely heading of ‘Quicunque Vult’ (Whoever will).
We are here talking about the Athanasian Creed. In a great division in the Christian religion Athanasius took the side of orthodox belief. It was a near-run thing. Alaric and other rebels were Arians; they did not believe in the eternal being of Jesus. Jesus, said Athanasius, was perfect God and perfect Man. ‘This is the Catholick Faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.’ This is why we have churches declaring their belief in the Trinity.
Athanasius was condemned by emperor (Constantine) and synod after synod. He stood firm. He got the sack as patriarch time after time. He became known as ‘Athanasius contra mundum’ (‘Athanasius against the world’ i.e. the only man standing).
We take for granted the orthodox view that Jesus was the Son of God, an incarnation, not a created being. But the Arians have had a following and many readers will be familiar with the fact that in their neighbourhood is not only a parish church but a Unitarian meeting-place.
When God the Father was bringing his universe into being, he was saying a big ‘Yes.’ When God the Son pondered whether he should drink the cup, he too said ‘Yes.’
GILLINGHAM ‘IMPACT’
Editing the lively 36-page magazine for the three Dorset parishes of Gillingham, Milton-on-Stour and Silton is David Grundy. The magazine deals with cost of living problems and other day-to-day issues. The Rector is Peter Greenwood.
SURBITON AID
Pictures of useful items being despatched to Ukraine and a list of welcome future donations are a big feature of the current parish magazine of St Andrew’s and St Mark’s, Surbiton, Surrey
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