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A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Dr Calvin T Samuel

Good morning.

On the 25th of August 325 the Council of Nicaea concluded its business. This was the first of the great ecumenical Councils, where Bishops, their representatives, and assistants from churches across the world, both East and West, gathered to clarify and to formalise key doctrines of the Church.

Nicaea, in modern day Turkey, was near Nicomedia, the seat of power of the Emperor of Rome, the singular global superpower of the day. The Council was held in the presence of Constantine the Great, the first Christian Roman Emperor. His presence, prestige, and power helped to ensure that the outcomes of the Council had a lasting impact on Christian faith and practice.

The Council of Nicaea wrestled with and set out its understanding of the divinity of Jesus. Even if you鈥檝e never heard of it, you鈥檙e a beneficiary of the Council if you鈥檝e ever recited the Nicene Creed, or sung the second verse of the Christmas carol, O Come All Ye Faithful, which declares:
True God of True God, Light of Light eternal
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin鈥檚 womb;
Very God, Begotten, not created:

The Council had mixed outcomes. It failed to reach agreement on the date of Easter, the oldest and most important Christian festival, and many of the issues on which they did reach agreement continued to be hotly contested for another 50 years.

Nonetheless, Nicaea brought people together to seek common ground, in the face of profound disagreement. And in that regard, Nicaea proved in the long run to be successful.

God of all,
by your Spirit, give us grace and courage
to seek common ground
with those with whom we profoundly disagree,
recognising even in them
ones for whom Christ also died.

Amen.

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