| Description | Elizabeth Taylor Cadbury's address for the BBC Sunday Evening Service presented a human interpretation of Jesus Christ as a living being who shared and understood ordinary human experiences. Appealing to listeners who did not recognise Jesus as a divine figure, Taylor Cadbury's broadcast portrays Jesus as an exemplary friend for life's journey, remarking on the experiences of spiritual contact and influence experienced by members of the Society of Friends. Her address illustrates the importance of cultivating a spiritual sense to share in God's love and guidance and remarks on the central role of human fellowship based on devotion to God in reconciling the world's national and international problems.
Taylor Cadbury begins her address by referring to the works of the Russian novelist Dostoevsky and his vision of Jesus Christ. Drawing on Dostoevsky's work, Taylor Cadbury explores perceptions of Jesus considering 'whether we can acknowledge that He was not only the Son of God, but a Man whom we would eagerly welcome as a Friend and Companion through life'. Opening her address with a biblical quotation, Mark IV, 1.2., 35-41, Taylor Cadbury returns to the account featured in the Gospel of the storm which Jesus and his disciples encountered on the Sea of Galilee, offering an interpretation of the account which illustrates her human perception of Jesus Christ. She states:
'Do not stumble at the miraculous element in the story and dismiss it because miracles are at a discount; I like to think that being a friend of fishermen He was a sailor Himself, and a good steersman, and that as soon as He took the helm, confidence returned to His companions, and He guided the ship safely into port.'
Taylor Cadbury examines Jesus as a young man, describing him as 'the very incarnation of the Spirit of youth' and remarking that Jesus understood the depths of human sorrow. She reflects on his knowledge of both town and country life and his agricultural experience working with his father Joseph, considering how Jesus turned his experiences of life 'into texts for His talks to the crowds that gathered round Him'.
Referring to her own Quaker faith, Taylor Cadbury interprets Jesus's teaching 'the wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou knowest not whence it cometh, nor whither it goeth - so is everyone that is born of the Spirit' to reflect the inward 'spiritual experience' of Quakers. Taylor Cadbury also suggests that Jesus understood both national and international problems, brought face to face 'with class divisions and national antagonisms'. Reflecting her own beliefs concerning the improvement of international relations, Taylor Cadbury suggests that Jesus recognised that only 'a common devotion to God' was capable of reconciling such conflicts.
Encouraging a realisation of Jesus's relevance in the lives of her listeners, Taylor Cadbury considers how Jesus set 'the highest possible standard for men to follow in their dealings with their fellow men, remarking on Jesus's 'capacity to understand human nature, and modern problems', adding 'what a Friend and Companion to capture for life's journey!'. She concludes her address by appealing directly to listeners who did not share her faith in Jesus. Referring to the experiences of Quaker worship, Taylor Cadbury remarks that religious fellowship to Quakers was 'a definite experience' of 'spiritual contact', encouraging the cultivation of a 'spiritual sense' to experience Jesus's love and guidance. She ends her broadcast with two quotations, the first from Dante and the second from her recently deceased husband George Cadbury (1839-1922), who she describes as 'one of Christ's greatest friends'. |