When he was about 10 years old (around 306 A.D.), Athanasius was playing with a group of his friends on the beach, pretending to baptize one another, taking turns playing the part of the minister. When Athanasius took his turn, he so accurately recited sections of the baptismal service, bishop Alexander – who was walking along the beach at the time – approached Athanasius to talk about his faith.
While the Church at that time was relatively free of persecution, she greatly struggled with internal conflict and heresy. Athanasius served the Church at one of the most theologically dangerous times in history. While Athanasius served as Bishop Alexander’s assistant, a priest named Arius began openly teaching that Christ was created by the Father, and therefore, was not as divine as God the Father. He also claimed that “there was a time when the Son was not.”
A meeting of church leaders in the region condemned Arius’ teachings and ordered him to stop teaching it – but Arius refused. Eventually, Emperor Constantine called for a full Church council (Nicea in 325). In the end, the council sided with Athanasius, ordering Arius not to teach his beliefs any more. They wrote the Nicene Creed as the official response to Arius, but he and his followers refused to sign it or obey it. They were excommunicated from the Church.
Instead, Arius and his followers went to Constantine and apologized for their wrongs – but they did not change their beliefs. They wanted to be restored to the Church and to their leadership positions. Without consulting the bishops, Constantine agreed, even sending out a letter to Athanasius, telling him that if he did not welcome Arius and his followers back into the Church, he would be exiled. Athanasius refused.
Some records indicate that Athanasius was banished five separate times, but, he never gave up – continuing to preach and write the truth about who Christ is. The result was what still stands as his greatest work, On the Incarnation. Because of him, many of those who had been deceived by Arius returned to the truth and, to this day, churches around the world recite the Nicene Creed, but far fewer know who Arius was.
While we can learn many things from the life of St. Athanasius, let us remember at least these:
- First, the creeds of the Church were hard won. They were written in the midst of battles, struggles for the truth, and were handed down as protection to the Church. While they are not to be held on the same level as Scripture, no Christian should hold them lightly.
- Second, at the risk of sounding like a motivational poster, St. Athanasius teaches us that if something is true, it is true whether it’s easy to hold to it or not.
- And finally, doing what is right is not always easy, and doing what is easy is not always right.
Athanasius alikuwa na umri wa miaka kumi na moja, na wakati huo alikuwa akicheza na marafiki zake kwenye ufuo wa bahari, akijifanya kuwa anatabatiana, akicheza kwa zamu kama mhudumu. Athanasius alipokuwa akisoma sehemu za ibada ya ubatizo, askofu Alexander, aliyekuwa akitembea kwenye ufuo wa bahari wakati huo, alimkaribia Athanasius ili azungumze naye kuhusu imani yake. Ingawa Kanisa wakati huo halikuwa na mateso, lilipambana sana na mapigano ya ndani na uzushi. Athanasius alitumikia Kanisa katika mojawapo ya nyakati zenye hatari zaidi kitheolojia katika historia. Athanasius alipokuwa msaidizi wa askofu Alexander, kasisi aliyeitwa Arius alianza kufundisha waziwazi kwamba Kristo aliumbwa na Baba, na kwa hiyo, hakuwa wa kimungu kama Mungu Baba. Pia alidai kwamba "kulikuwa na wakati ambapo Mwana hakuwapo". Mkutano wa viongozi wa kanisa katika eneo hilo ulilaani mafundisho ya Arius na kumwamuru aache kuifundisha - lakini Arius alikataa. Mwishowe, Maliki Konstantino aliita baraza kamili la Kanisa (Nicea mwaka wa 325). Mwishowe, baraza hilo lilimsaidia Athanasius, likimwamuru Arius asifundishe tena itikadi zake. "Waliandika ""Imani ya Nicea"" kama jibu rasmi kwa Arius, lakini yeye na wafuasi wake walikataa kuitia sahihi au kuitii." Walikataliwa kutoka katika Kanisa. Badala yake, Arius na wafuasi wake walimwendea Konstantino na kuomba msamaha kwa makosa yao - lakini hawakubadili itikadi zao. Walitaka kurudishwa katika Kanisa na katika vyeo vyao vya uongozi. "Bila kuwahesabu maaskofu, Konstantino alikubali, hata akampelekea barua Athanasius, akimwambia kwamba ikiwa hangewakaribisha Arius na wafuasi wake katika Kanisa, angepelekwa uhamishoni.""" Athanasius alikataa. Baadhi ya rekodi zinaonyesha kwamba Athanasius alifukuzwa mara tano tofauti, lakini, hakuwahi kuacha <unk> kuendelea kuhubiri na kuandika ukweli kuhusu Kristo ni nani. Matokeo yakawa kile ambacho bado kinasimama kama kazi yake kubwa zaidi, On the Incarnation. "Kwa sababu ya Arius, wengi wa wale waliodanganywa na Arius walirudi kwenye ukweli, na hadi leo, makanisa ulimwenguni pote yanataja ""Imani ya Nicea,"" lakini ni wachache sana wanajua Arius alikuwa nani." Ingawa tunaweza kujifunza mambo mengi kutoka kwa maisha ya Mtakatifu Athanasius, hebu tukumbuke angalau haya: - Kwanza, imani za Kanisa zilipatikana kwa bidii. Ziliandikwa wakati wa mapigano, mapambano kwa ajili ya ukweli, na zilitolewa kama ulinzi kwa Kanisa. Ingawa hazipaswi kuchukuliwa kwa uzito sawa na Maandiko, hakuna Mkristo anayepaswa kuzichukua kwa uzito. - Pili, kwa hatari ya kuonekana kama bango la kuhamasisha, Mtakatifu Athanasius anatufundisha kwamba ikiwa kitu ni kweli, ni kweli iwe ni rahisi kushikilia au la. - Na mwishowe, kufanya yaliyo sawa si rahisi sikuzote, na kufanya yaliyo rahisi si sahihi sikuzote.