St Aidan

ST AIDAN

Between 1966 and 1969 I was Priest in Charge of a Church in Liverpool dedicated to St Aidan. I was therefore delighted when I had the opportunity, some years ago now, of visiting Lindisfarne, commonly known as Holy Island, off the Northumbrian coast, where St Aidan lived for many years in the seventh century.

Access, to this windswept island, is gained by a causeway which is covered twice a day by high water. The main industry today is tourism and fishing.

It was here that St Aidan established a monastery. Here he trained future missionaries and lived himself for sixteen years. His former presence is recalled by a statue in the grounds of the abbey ruins overlooking the sea. The sculpture has Aidan holding in one hand his episcopal crook, and in the other holding a flaming torch to recall his missionary work, in bringing the light of the Gospel to the dark pagan Kingdom of King Oswald.

However, Aidan was not the first person to be appointed as a missionary to the Kingdom. As soon as King Oswald ascended the throne, he sent to the elders of the Scots, 'desiring they would send him a bishop, by whose instruction and ministry the English nation, which he governed, might be taught the advantages and receive the sacraments of the Christian faith', according to the eighth century Jarrow monk called Bede, whose Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation, is the source of our knowledge of St Aidan.

The first bishop, who came from the island of Iona on the West coast of Scotland, found the situation too difficult and too austere. He returned home to St Aidan, and reported that, "He had not been able to do any good to the nation he had been sent to preach to, because they were uncivilised men of a stubborn and barbarous disposition." Aidan suggested that 'you were more severe of your unlearned hearers than you ought to have been, and did not at first...give them the milk of more easy doctrine, till by degrees nourished with the Word of God, they should be capable of greater precepts and be able to practice God's sublimer precepts.'

Thus Aidan talked himself into the job. His fellow monks at the Abbey on the island of Iona consecrated him bishop, and sent him to Northumberland to fulfil the wishes of King Oswald.

Aidan established a small theological college where he trained a local indigenous ministry. He was obviously a person of robust health, not only to be able to survive the cold winds blowing off the North Sea, but also, according to Bede, 'he was wont to traverse both town and country on foot, never on horseback, unless compelled by some urgent necessity.'

In fact, King Oswald tried to encourage Aidan to use a horse regularly by giving him one of his own. However, when a beggar met Aidan, he gave him the horse that King Oswald had provided. Obviously, this did not please the King who complained. Aidan replied: 'ls that foal of a mare more dear to you than the Son of God?' Needless to say, the King apologised. However, this does reflect the generous side of Aidan's character. Again, the Venerable Bede tells us that Aidan 'delighted in distributing to the poor whatsoever was given him by the King and rich men of the world.'

Although Aidan was ably assisted by King Oswald, who often interpreted his Scottish tongue to his hearers, he nevertheless directed his ministry to everyone. Again, Bede recalls that 'wherever in his way he saw any, rich or poor, he invited them, if infidels, to embrace the mystery of faith: or if they were believers, to strengthen them in the faith, and to stir them up by words and actions to alms and good works.'

By the time Bede came to write his history of the conversion of the North of England to Christianity, various miraculous actions had become associated with St Aidan.

The first concerned prophecy. He foretold of a shipwreck and how a phial of Holy water poured upon the sea stilled the storm. This actually happened when Utta was sent to Kent to fetch the daughter of King Edwin and bring her north to be the wife of King Oswald.

The second concerned the power of prayer. Standing on the Isle of Farne, Aidan watched the Mercians, under the command of Penda, trying to burn the royal city of Bebba. It is claimed that Aidan prayed, 'Behold, Lord, how great the mischief Penda does.' According to Bede, 'which words were hardly uttered when the wind immediately turned from the city, drove back the flames upon those who had kindled them, so that some being burnt, and all frightened, they forbore any further attempt against the city which they perceived protected by the hand of God'.

The third miracle concerned a wooden post against which Aidan leaned when dying. It was used to support the exterior wall of the church. When Penda tried to burn down the church, the post remained. In fact, it continued to remain after the church was burnt a second time. The post eventually became a focus of pilgrimage with chips of its wood being placed in buckets of water to heal 'many from distemper'.

I believe that Aidan has much to teach us about missionary work today.

Firstly, regarding the method of mission, he believed in starting where people were, feeding them with milk of the gospel before giving them more substantial food. This is where the first bishop failed. I fear in our 'instant society' we are tempted to look for quick results and often expect too much too soon. Perhaps like Aidan, who preferred to walk, we should slow down in our desire to make disciples.

Secondly, regarding the message of mission, not only did Aidan talk about the love of God for all, he also demonstrated that love in a practical way. It is easy to talk about love. It is far more difficult to love if it involves giving. Thus he shared his worldly possessions and lived a rather austere life. He did not demand that others should live such a life, but many tried to follow his example, not least with fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays.

And finally, regarding the secret of mission, the real secret of Aidan's success was that he practised what he preached. As the Venerable Bede says, Aidan was 'a man of single meekness, piety and moderation'. And Bede concludes: ' it was the highest commendation of his doctrine, with all men, that he taught no otherwise than he and his followers had lived.'

So we give thanks to God for the life and witness of St Aidan of Lindisfarne, Bishop and Missionary in the north east of England, whose life is observed in the Anglican church on 31 August each year.