Ancient and Modern
Diocesan Press Service. February 8, 1966 [40-1]
Ralph S. Dean, Executive Officer, Anglican Communion
After returning from the South Pacific to England recently, two significant events occurred which seem to justify my choice of title for this column.
The first was an historic event indeed - the 900th Anniversary of the Consecration of Westminster Abbey, which took place on Dec. 28, 1065. The Abbey was built in the first instance by Edward the Confessor who died shortly after its Consecration and who was buried in it. Thus from the very beginning the Abbey has been a shrine of one who was a king and, even more important, a saint. The present building dates in the main from the reigns of Henry III and Richard II, while the magnificent chapel of Edward the Confessor dates from the time of Henry VII.
History reverberated around us at the 900th anniversary as the Dean, in a magnificent sermon, wove together the themes of the Abbey's history, the significance of Holy Innocents Day, and the plans for the year-long celebrations which centre on the theme of "One People". It is an appropriate theme, for the Abbey in a particular way belongs to the people, and not only the people of England either. Thousands throng to this Church from all races, of all creeds, and indeed of no creed. Yet it is not primarily a tourist attraction but the House of God, open to all and for each to find within it what each seeks of devotion, inspiration, and perhaps even only history or sightseeing. Ancient it is, yet modern too for its staff of Dean and Chapter reach out in numerous ways to all kinds of groups of people, proclaiming the Word of God for this day and age. People may politely sneer at it as just a museum, and certainly many of its over-numerous statues and plaques may give that impression - and not all of them are good statuary either. As one cynic has said, "there are poets without monuments and monuments without poets." Yet it is a powerhouse of the Christian faith, building upon its history and yet not stifled by it. Ancient certainly, and yet astonishingly modern too. It was a privilege to have a part in the act of worship that inaugurated the Anniversary Year, to see the whole spectrum of the ecumenical world represented, with Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Free Church dignitaries present, together with Royalty and commoners united in the worship of Him whose Son is the same yesterday, today and forever.
The second event was undoubtedly modern. This was the annual conference of the Association of Missionary Candidates of the United Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. I learned from Bishop E. J. Trapp, general secretary of the society, that there are about 400 members, both men and women, of the association and 140 were gathered together for a four day conference. It was a remarkable and inspiring series of meetings. Not all the members are accepted candidates and some are only inquirers. Nor are all the men clergy or ordinands for there were doctors, nurses, teachers, agriculturalists and technicians. And it was startling but refreshing to see a fair number of those young people of the male sex whose beards and/or long hair showed that they are "with it."
The theme was "The Body of Christ - at Home and Overseas" and all five speakers received the keenest attention. The results of the various discussion groups were fascinating. The groups were asked to put in order of importance a number of aspects of life in the mission world of today. Very practical were the categories too. They included, for example, political stability of the area concerned, the ability to get along with colleagues, living conditions, salary and marriage allowances, climate, the effects of loneliness and frustration, the significance of the work, the urgency of need, personal fulfillment and transport costs. What was remarkable was that every group announced that the significance of the particular job, and the urgency of need for the job to be done were the two top priorities. Idealistic? Yes, I suppose it was. But if under-thirties are not idealistic who on earth will be? No doubt with the passing years the more practical things like salaries and transport costs will move up the list of importance, but these young people were beginning at the right end. Not all of them will go overseas. Some will not offer, and some will offer and not be accepted. But that all of them will have benefitted from the conference there can be little doubt. If these were representative of modern young people in the Church of England let nobody say that the Mother Church is dead! As it was Epiphany-tide I could not help reflecting upon the fact that these young people were in their way modern counterparts of the Wise Men of old. They were following a star, unsure of the journey's end as the Wise Men were, knowing there would be a long interval between the initial appearing of the star and their final glimpse of it when it led them to the Christ Child. And idealistic though they may have been, they were realistic about all that would go on in testing and training and waiting before their service overseas would begin. Thus, almost as in the Abbey, ancient and modern met again in a conference centre.
I enjoyed this rest from travel, but I must be on my way again, for the star still shines and beckons me, no matter how many times it changes direction, and like you, I must follow.