Emily Lyons

“Out of the mouths of infants and children your majesty is praised above the heavens.”
—Psalm 8:2

Dear Friends,

Truth is the uniting theme in the readings appointed for the feast of Saint Irenaeus, 2nd-century bishop and theologian. This is fitting, as Irenaeus was instrumental in beginning to shape orthodox (“accepted”) Christian doctrine that we still adhere to today.

What we profess when we recite the creeds, such as belief in the Holy Trinity and in the fact of Jesus’s bodily birth, death, resurrection and ascension, is an example of this.

We also profess belief in the holy catholic Church, “catholic” meaning “universal.” I sometimes find this part challenging.

How can I claim to believe in a universal Church when Christians are so divided in their understanding of God’s truth—indeed, when some Christians weaponize the word of God to advance cruel and violent agendas?

Irenaeus saw doctrine as a means of unifying the Church. Doctrine is the structure we build of our understanding of God’s truth, informed by our God-given reason and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, upon the foundation of scripture.

Built into the idea of doctrine is the recognition that our understanding of God’s truth is necessarily imperfect, and thus we can never claim to have it all figured out.

As Jesus taught, nobody lights a lamp to hide it, but to let it shine out. Similarly, we must let our faith shine out. However, Jesus cautions, “consider whether the light in you is not darkness.”

In the 1950s, theologian Karl Barth wrote, “[The Church] cannot exist except as ecclesia semper reformanda.” Ecclesia semper reformanda* translates to “the church must always be reforming.” In other words, the Church is in a continual process of growing in understanding that cannot be brought to completion except by God.

This helps me to believe in “the holy catholic Church” not as what it is, but as what we Christians are continually working to bring about.

In the meantime, Paul advises us not be discouraged by those we disagree with, however strongly, but to respond to them with gentleness and patience.

“God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth.”

In Christ,

—Emily

*This is a variant of a slogan originating in Dutch Reformation theology with a history too long and complicated to unpack here.