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Aidan and Alopen, Apostles
Aidan was a fiery Irishman, Alopen a refined Persian. Both were monks,
both gifted communicators. In AD635, both were, entirely independently,
commissioned and sent to start churches: one at the North-West frontier of
civilisation, the other in the far East. Aidan became the Apostle of northern
England, Alopen the Apostle to China. Despite their extraordinary linked
destiny, they never met or even knew of each other. Article by Trevor Saxby
Aidan: Apostle of the North
BRITAIN AT THE turn of the 600s was a battleground
of warring tribal kingdoms, most
of them pagan. A Christian prince named
Oswald was sent to the Celtic monastery on
the Scottish island of Iona for his own safety.
In 634 he felt ready to deliver his kingdom,
Northumbria, in the north of England. He
defeated the invaders and was crowned king.
One of his first acts was to ask Iona to
send someone to convert his pagan subjects.
An envoy was sent but returned saying
that the Northumbrians were obstinate
barbarians, beyond redemption. At this, an
Irish monk named Aidan spoke up: it was
foolish to expect pagans to accept the strict
rules of a Celtic monastery – they must be
met on their own level, with grace and humility.
For this, Aidan himself was appointed
for the apostolic mission to re-evangelise
the north of England. It was AD 635.
Aidan established his base on Lindisfarne,
an island off the east coast, which became
known as Holy Island. From here teams went
out with the gospel, planting churches and
establishing centres at Melrose, Jarrow and
Whitby. By the time he died in 651, Northumbria
was almost wholly evangelised.
Aidan succeeded by developing key relationships
with those who helped to expand
the work and by wise and creative planning.
He didn't do all the work himself – at
first, he couldn't even speak the language
but needed interpreters. He appointed and
trusted many workers. Other noted Celtic
saints, Hilda, Chad and Cuthbert, built up
important ministries under his covering.
But Aidan was a communicator. He could
empathise. Any gifts he received from the
wealthy, he gave to the poor. This included
a fine stallion given to him by the king. The
king was furious, but Aidan replied: “Is the
son of a mare more important to you than
a son of God?” The humbled king knelt and
asked forgiveness.
Aidan's primary witness was through the
genuineness of his life. He refused personal
gain, showed no partiality (rebuking kings
when they needed it), and practised rigorous
self-denial. If the king came to Lindisfarne,
he had to eat the same food as the
monks and beggars. Aidan’s approach was
“Do as I do”, not “Do as I say”, and because
his life was open to all, people gladly followed
and the Church was built.
If the king
came, he
had to eat
the same
food as the
monks and
beggars
Jesus Life Three/2007 Page 12
www.jesus.org.uk