The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Justin Welby, addressed people from across the Diocese of Winchester who gathered for a Service of Morning Prayer and Eucharist this morning, on the day that the Church of England commemorates King Alfred the Great, the Saxon King whose statue is in Winchester and who was a man of great learning and faith.
In his sermon, Archbishop Justin drew on the four values (Serving, Learning, Loving and Growing) set out in Bishop Philip’s Vision for our diocese – Walking the Wessex Way – which speak to us of the model of Jesus Christ, the example followed by King Alfred, and one that as a diocese we can also follow, as together we “sow seeds of justice and reap a harvest of hope.”
Watch the whole service on YouTube here (full text below):
Archbishop Justin’s Address
“King Alfred was indeed a just ruler. He is remembered here rightly and properly on this day and Winchester has the privilege of – somewhere rather like Richard III probably under a car park or prison somewhere – his bones lie.
But where do we find justice? What are the leading lights for the king, the ruler, the president, the Prime Minister who is seeking to rule to live to govern in justice? This year, roughly a third of the human race has been involved in elections. Some rulers – although I am making no comment I hasten to add about who was right or wrong, this is not a political speech, just for the record (not that I am ever political of course) – some rulers have been very successful in their elections. President Kagame In Rwanda on a turnout of 99% in his election, gained 99.7% of the vote. There was an element of reversal, last time he won 99.8% of the vote – but maybe the 0.1% was still in prison and couldn’t vote.
We have seen surprises as in India. We have seen predictable outcomes with dramatic changes, as in this country. And in 10 days we will have probably the most important elections of the year as we get to the United States.
But what are the guiding lights for those who find themselves in office?
Ther readings are so well chosen this morning because there is an irony in both. The reading which speaks of David as a model of ‘the just king’ has within it the memory of David and Bathsheba, of a king who massacred, who fought many wars.
Alfred did not have his Bathsheba and he did not kill more than he had to, that is important to remember.
Pilot is set against David as an unjust ruler, constrained by the pressures outside his, driven by his own weaknesses. Alfred showed a different pattern.
The vision for the Diocese of Winchester includes: Serving, Learning, Loving, Growing. These speak to us of the model we follow of those who walk with justice…
Serving – the reversal in the gospel of power is something that we almost cannot grasp, it’s very rare that we grasp it all, the sense that the ruler is the servant of all, modelled for us by the greatest of just kings, Jesus himself, who modelled service in weakness and vulnerability before Pilate. The absolute reversal. As the Church we must cling to that model and live it. Service must be the motto, the leading light of those who are given power.
At the Coronation in 2023 the service began with a small boy saying to the King, basically, ‘what are you doing here?’ And the King said, ‘I come not to be served but to serve, after the pattern of Christ.”
Learning – Alfred was a model of learning. The danger of power is we feel that having got into a position of power, whether as a nation, across the world, or as an individual, we feel we know what we need to know. Learning enables us each day to follow Benedict’s command to be converted afresh each day – to read, to learn, to digest what we learn.
Loving is the model of Jesus. Note that even with Pilate here, Jesus does not become aggressive or defensive. But he answers truthfully – “everyone who belongs to the truth (that is to him), listens to my voice.”
Growing – the fruit of justice is the growth of people individually, of institutions corporately, of the church in service and learning and loving. Growth is the pattern of life.
And the reason for weekends like this one, is to encourage us all that in sharing the good news of Jesus who reverses all earthly power absolutely, in sharing that good news we sow seeds of justice and reap a harvest of hope.
Amen
