Our church has the name of "St Cuthbert's." He is our patron saint. But just who was he, and what do we know about him? Read on:
St Cuthbert was an early environmentalist. He lived in the 7th Century and he loved to visit an island called Lindisfarne, just off the east coast of England. There he was at peace living with the sea otters, and the ducks. Today they are still known as "Cuddy's Ducks."
St Cuthbert could be thought of as our mascot. There's more to it than that, as churches tend to be named after a saint. He was born in the year 634 CE, and lived in southern Scotland and Northern England. He was one of the more important people in the spiritual development of the church in England.
When Cuthbert was a young man, he had a vision while tending sheep in a paddock. He saw, in the minds eye, some angels carrying the soul of a holy person to heaven. The very next day, Aidan, who was then Bishop of Lindisfarne died. Now Cuthbert was a bit of an introvert, and he loved being in nature. He became a wandering holy man himself and eventually, and reluctantly, he became a Bishop. He was a keen help and advocate for the poor. Cuthbert had a gift of healing people by helping them find insight into what made them unhappy, or unwell.
Cuthbert would often walk into the sea where he would stand and pray for long periods of time. He was once followed by a sceptical monk who spied on him. The monk reported that Cuthbert seemed to have a special relationship with the sea otters. The otters warmed Cuthbert's feet by laying on them when he emerged from the tide.
Cuthbert tried to retire at least twice. He longed to be alone, either on the island of Lindisfarne with it's enduring tide, sea spray and long wild grasses, or the more secluded Inner Island. Yet he was drawn out of retirement and made Bishop. We think that being reluctant to accept authority is one of the signs of true authority. On the island of Lindisfarne he occupied the Abbey that was once occupied by Aidan. Cuthbert eventually died 20 March 687.
As the church spread across Europe at around that time, it became mixed in with various spiritualities, such as that of the Celts (spirituality of the land) and the Romans (a more formal approach). Topics like how formal the Christian Church ought be were hot dinner table debates in the 7th century. The Synod of Whitby was called to address this, and at times got a bit wet and wild. Cuthbert did not attend the synod, but became known for his ability to weave together different spiritual traditions, to identify what is important, and to bring peace and unity where there is difference. That is one reason why he is as relevant today as he was 1300 years ago.
St Cuthbert was initially buried on Lindisfarne island but his corpse was relocated a few times after his death, so that his body was not desecrated by invading armies. At one time when he was moved, his coffin was opened and it is said that the vestments (clothes) he was buried in were as good as new.
Eventually St Cuthbert's remains found their way to magnificent Durham Cathedral where they remain to this day. St Cuthbert's church Prospect in South Australia is fortunate to have a stone from Durham Cathedral set into the wall of the church as a memorial to the great St Cuthbert: Peacemaker, Environmentalist, Introvert and Healer.
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