Mother, May I? - Hilda Of Whitby

614–80

She stood for peace, nurtured faith, and supported the arts. At a critical time in Britain’s history, Hilda became a spiritual mother to many—even though her own family life had been less than ideal.

In the political intrigue of the day, Hilda’s father was poisoned when she was just an infant. She was raised in the court of King Edwin of Northumbria, her uncle. In 627, Edwin converted to Christianity, and his whole court was baptized—including thirteen-year-old Hilda. But then Edwin died in battle a few years later.

We don’t know much else about Hilda’s life until she was thirty-three, when she became a nun. Ten years later she was put in charge of a double monastery in Whitby, where men and women lived separately but worshiped together. This became a center for Celtic Christianity, and Hilda’s reputation as a spiritual leader grew. “Because of her outstanding devotion and grace,” wrote the contemporary historian Bede, “all that knew her called her mother.”

Christianity was growing in Britain, but there were two distinct strains of it. The old Roman church had mostly been driven out by pagan tribes in the 400s and only recently restored by Pope Gregory’s outreach (and Bertha’s influence) in 596. But there was an even older tradition of Celtic Christianity that had never left the British Isles, but burrowed in monasteries, mostly in the north. Now both were expanding—the Roman church with its order and organization and the Celtic church with its vibrant spirituality—and there were some conflicts. One key issue, believe it or not, was the date of Easter. In 664, church leaders decided to hold a peace conference of sorts. The site: Hilda’s monastery at Whitby. We can only assume that Hilda’s maternal presence assured both sides of a fair hearing. As a result, the Synod of Whitby stands as a crucial unifying moment in the history of the British church.

Sometimes the biggest influence you can have is not in what you say or do, but merely in who you are. Once you gain the trust and admiration of others, you can bring them together in amazing ways. Have you seen this happen in your world?

God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.

Matthew 5:9