Lindisfarne is an island off the northeast coast of England. Most of its one hundred eighty permanent residents are employed in the fishing industry. The town has three pubs, a post office, and one hotel. A single causeway connects the island to the English mainland, but travelers must make allowances for high tide or risk becoming stranded. Before the highway was built, people accessed the island on foot during low tide.
In the seventh century, King Oswald wanted to reintroduce Christianity to Northern England, called Northumbria in those days. A form of Anglo-Saxonism paganism had taken hold and this Christian monarch sought help in evangelizing the region. He contacted the Iona Abbey in Scotland, who sent a monk named Corman. He found the people living in Northumbria obstinate and intractable, so he returned to Iona to tell his fellow monks about his cool reception. One monk, Aidan (d-651), observed, “They need the milk of the Word before they can consume the meat of solid doctrine.” Aidan replaced Corman, taking eleven monks with him and setting up operations in Lindisfarne. Aidan walked the roads of Northumbria, introducing himself to people, listening to their stories, and learning about their backgrounds. In the language of our day, we might say he was adept at “meeting people where they are.” According to Bede, who compiled an early history of England, Aidan was a man “of singular gentleness, piety and moderation.” Bede tells of a time when King Oswin, who replaced his half-brother Oswald on the English throne, gave Aidan a well-fitted royal horse to aid his travels but Aidan gifted the horse to the first beggar he met. When the king heard Aidan had given away his royal gift, he was upset. There were ordinary horses in the stables who could suffice for a beggar. Aidan pushed back, asking the king if he valued the foal of a mare more highly than the Son of God.
His patience and gentleness with people paid off. He slowly introduced Christ to people and planted churches to aid new believers. The prayer that follows, attributed to Aidan, is closely tied to the rhythm of the tides at Lindisfarne: