Values in Harmony - University of St Andrews

THE GOLDEN RULE:“Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Luke 6:31)INTRODUCTIONCHRISTIANITY is monotheistic faith. Christians believe in One God, who is Love and who isCreator of All. This One God has revealed himself as the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son andthe Holy Spirit. These are, each and together, the fullness of the One God. Human beings arecreated in the image of God and are called to love. Spirituality, faith and religious practice areways which help us respond to God’s call to love.Jesus Christ, the Son, on whose life and teaching theChristian religion is based, summed up his messagein two commandments: ‘Love God’ and ‘Love yourneighbour’ (Matthew 22:27-29; Mark 12:30-31). Healso taught us how to pray to God, Our Father. (Seetext box: The Lord’s Prayer).Jesus was a Jew who lived 2000 years ago. Hewas an itinerant teacher who preached and workedmiracles around the Holy Land. He told people aboutthe ‘Kingdom of God’. Because of his teaching hewas killed by civil and religious authorities. Threedays later, God the Father raised Jesus, the Son,from the dead. Jesus established a community offollowers to take his message out to the whole world.Jesus assured his followers of the ongoing presenceand power of the Holy Spirit.Today there are many different traditions and churches within Christianity. Regrettably,Christian history has suffered the scandal of division. Thankfully, today many Christiansare actively seeking to work more and more closelytogether, to grow in love and respect for one another,and to learn from one another. The aim is to reestablishunity among all of Christ’s followers – a unitywhich encompasses the rich diversity found amongour many and valued Christian traditions.Some key values and practices in Christianity are:love, prayer, justice and peace, right living; and rightrelationships with God, with other people, and with allof creation. These values are shared by many peoplein our world. The majority of Christians seek to livein harmony with adherents of other faith traditionsand philosophies. For the Christian, the reason andpurpose of these values is centred in Jesus Christ,God who is Love.Adjacent photo: Pilgrims gather outside Iona Abbey. Iona Abbey was founded in the 7th century by St.Columba. Today, Iona is a centre forpilgrimage for Christians of many diverse backgrounds. The Abbey was rebuilt in the 1930s by tradesmen and ministers working togetherunder the guidance of George MacLeod, the founder of the ecumenical Iona Community. The Church is a living organism and work is stillbeing done on this historic building - Courtesy Isabel Sarle29