Julian

Rev. Ethan Brown, Pastor and Minister of Care & Discipleship
5 days ago
2 min read

The fourteenth century A.D. was not an easy time to be alive in Europe. The Bubonic Plague ravaged the continent, killing perhaps as much as 50% of the population. The Hundred Year’s War and later the Peasant’s Revolt meant that violence was almost a constant presence in people’s lives while food was often scarce. In this chaos, a thirty-year-old woman, Julian, found herself at death’s doorstep. Yet in the midst of her sickness and isolation, Julian encountered the spirit of God and received visions of God’s presence with her. Julian recovered and lived out the rest of her life as a nun in seclusion, devoting herself to prayer, contemplation, and unity with God. In these later years, Julian wrote about the visions that she received from God. In them she saw Jesus draw close to her, “closer than one’s own soul” and that "Jesus [spoke to her] with these words, saying: 'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.' ... This was said so tenderly, without blame of any kind toward me or anybody else."

Julian of Norwich, as she came to be known, is remembered in both Protestant and Catholic churches with a feast day on May 8th. Her visions have inspired generations of Christians to see the intimate presence of God in their lives.I find it impossible to read these words without feeling the tender compassion of God. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” Indeed, what a confession for Julian to offer in the turbulence of her times and the personal trials she endured. What a comfort it must have been for her to hear Jesus speak these words to her in love. They are words that I often need to be reminded of. Whatever storms arise in our world, our communities, our personal lives, their like has been seen before in human history. God’s love and faithfulness has revealed itself in those moments of the past to those with the eyes to see it, and I believe God’s goodness will be seen again in our time also. The words of Jesus that Julian heard while sick and alone have become a prayer in their own right. Repeating the words over and over again is a prayer of trust that God is present and at work no matter what circumstances we may find ourselves in.

Where do you find yourself in the world today? Do you feel anxious? Do you feel alone? Perhaps in a moment of silence you can pray and remember that,

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.

Amen.

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1 Skinner, John, ed. (1997). Revelation of Love. New York: Doubleday. ISBN 978-0-385-48756-6. pp. 54-55.