(The Creed) sets out what Christians
can expect each other to take for granted.
You might even say that it tells why we can trust each other in
the Christian community.
We’re looking in the same direction, working with the same hopes and
assumptions.
Tokens of Trust,
by Rowan Williams
The Bible is a long book. Various audio recordings of Old and New
Testaments run to 70+ hours. How do you summarize all that when
someone wants to know what to believe or what to do?
Jesus wrapped up the Old Testament revelation in two laws. Love God
and love your neighbor.
In an early letter, Paul summarized the Gospel for the church at
Corinth:
For what I received I passed on to
you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to
the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third
day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and
then to the Twelve…
(I Corinthians 15: 3-5)
The Church meditated for three centuries before gathering at Nicea to
codify a larger statement of beliefs.
The one true God who has called everything into existence has a
purpose for us within that master plan. He sent His Son to redeem us
and His Holy Spirit to guide us. The Father intends to complete what
He has begun.
Becoming familiar with all the stories and testimonies of men and
women in the Bible takes time. If it takes 12 years to get a normal
high school diploma we shouldn’t be surprised that learning our faith
will also take some time and study.
But meanwhile, as the Archbishop of Canterbury says, we can begin by
“looking in the same direction” with others in the Christian
community. We can “expect each other to take for granted” that we all
want to love God and love our neighbors...and that we claim ownership
in the faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church handed
down to us by the saints.