Advent 2005 Editorial

By Lucinda Landau

For the past four months I have been immersed in the study of Christianity. I’ve been learning about the Jewish antecedents to our worship and liturgy; the effect of persecution on the early Church; the origins of the monastic tradition; the function of contemporary churches as emotional systems; the principles and practices of Anglican Liturgy; the influence of mystics on the Church and more!

I’ve taken apart the New Testament and analyzed the editorial style of the Synoptic Gospel authors. Most of us consider the Bible to be the revealed word full verses which so often inspire great hope and courage. Well, I’ve discovered that the individuals who recorded those verses wrote in the context of their social, cultural and ideological biases of their day. For many of my fellow students this came as a complete shock. We all grew up with the Bible as, well, as the Bible! We never considered the point of view of the various writers.

The Synoptic Gospels – the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, were written to attract and encourage specific audiences. Luke’s Gospel is often considered the most beautifully written with the greatest compassion for the poor and disenfranchised; Matthew’s Gospel addresses a community comprised largely of Jewish Christians under oppression from within and without; Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of these three similar accounts and largely seen as a Greco-Roman biography of Jesus rooted in a Jewish world view.

As a student of divinity, I have applied the principles of ‘scientific exploration’ to our spiritual history. By examining the debates that took place in the early Church, I have gleaned a greater appreciation for how our Church has evolved. This is not to say that I have any less belief in the veracity of the Bible, I think that truth is discerned not given. Reading the Bible involves the interaction of the Holy Spirit, we are inspired to see the truth embedded in the dialogues and discourses of Christ. Science cannot undo the invisible dynamic of Faith which illuminates Scripture for a believer. In fact, I can testify that my faith has greater confidence now that I have placed our central text under scrutiny.

As Anglicans, we believe that Holy Scripture is an instrument of the Church’s shared communion with Jesus Christ and is a witness to our salvation through Christ. Our Church does not isolate texts to diverge from a coherent interpretation of the whole of Scripture; we are clear that we also need each other to discern truth. We can agree to disagree. Isn’t that the most marvellous way to approach the world? I think so.

Blessings and Peace to all of you this Christmas!

Sincerely,

Lucinda


P.S. Next semester I will be in a pre-internship parish placement at St. James the Apostle in Guelph under the direction of Reverend Kevin Bothwell. I’ll be there for 10 hours a week from January until early April. I’ll miss you all, but I plan to stay on as Editor of the Georgian – and on that note, I want to personally welcome Helen Vandermey to our team as Production Assistant. Helen brings her enthusiasm and her expertise in publishing church newsletters – we’re looking forward to her input. Welcome aboard, Helen!