Sister Julian of Norwich, that famed English mystic, is often remembered for her prayer, “… all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” These words come from Julian as she confronts greater theological perplexities. Her words have resonated with Christians for centuries. They are words which point us to our Christian hope that in Christ, all things will be made right. They are words of comfort. They are words of joy. They are words which are the scaffolding of our faith. As we live in this temporal world, our faith is the foundation of everything else. We, as Christians, are able to live knowing that the balance, the permanency, the solid rock on which we stand are faith.
These past days and now this week in our personal and national life have been fraught with uncertainty. Things out there don’t seem to follow our expectations. If you are like me, you turn on the news and wonder what is happening. Sister Julian provides comfort. In God, “… all shall be well, … and all manner of things shall be well.”
I find myself repeating those words over and over, like a mantra. In so doing, I am reminded that I am part of creation and not the Creator. I am part of the great canvas and not the artist. I am the words and not the poet.
My belief in our loving and gracious God, my trust in God’s divine providence, my hope founded in my Creator tell me that “… all shall be well, … and all manner of things shall be well.”
Today, I am thankful for the wisdom, the hope, and the words of those like Sister Julian who have gone before, tackling the uncertainty and difficulties of life. In God, she, and we find rest and hope and the firm foundation which is, too, the gift of our God.
Faithfully,
The Rev. Sarah Nelson