“What has been will be again,
What has been done will be done again;
There is nothing new under the sun.”
(Eccles 1:9)
Every day we read or hear of some new catastrophe. It feels never-ending. There is just so much suffering in the world, be it today… or in yester-times.
We know of disease – widespread. After all who of us will ever forget Covid. There is also Ebola, the Zika virus and HIV. And if not that, then there will be yet another health threat somewhere down the line. Our parents and grandparents saw not one, but two World Wars.
Today, the word used is ‘conflict’. Same meaning, just another way of saying what seems the inevitable. As before, these ‘conflicts’ are world-wide. Be they in Ukraine, Iran, Gaza, or Lebanon; fronted as they are by other, more powerful interests in Russia, the US and Israel. Elsewhere tensions rise and fall, twist and turn; Pakistan and India, Thailand and Cambodia. Smaller African nations, and further Middle Eastern entities.
Poverty is still rife. The world divides between those who have (and seek yet more), and those who have not. Ordinary, everyday folks struggle to make a living; provide for their families, hoping to get by one more day. Medical care is a hard-won commodity. Many are making large sums off what amounts to rationing, the better to improve their own bottom line.
Even religions themselves are known to squabble and fight over means and doctrines. Losing sight of the greater picture, the message they are supposedly charged with conveying. But if a political ideology will get them the attention (and the funds) needed, well then so be it.
No, there is nothing new under the sun; and what has been will be again. So says the Teacher who was said to have written the book of Ecclesiastes. But then he did not reckon with Julian of Norwich.
The world of the late 1300’s struggled with the same issues. There were plagues, war and famine. Leaders who put greed and power before the welfare of those over whom they ruled. And religious authorities dictated tenets that were never mentioned in the Bible.
But in the midst of this was a wise woman. One who stepped out of the character of her time, and wrote a book. If found out, it would have meant her life. For at that time, reading and writing were not necessarily attributes women were supposed to have knowledge of, never mind actually practice. (Okay, this is one area where life has seen some improvement in situation.)
Julian was known for her ‘visitations’ – visions of Christ. She spent over 30, some say 40 years as an anchoress living in an enclosed cell attached to St. Julian’s Church of Norwich. In that time, she scripted what some believe to have been the first book ever written by a woman. It was called Revelations of Divine Love.
This book has become a staple in the world’s religious library; famous for its wisdom and truths. Julian wrote this book for the ‘even Christians’… the everyday people around her. She wanted them to take heart. To offer assurance, that in the midst of their troubles and worries, God was with them. In the body of Christ, He shared the pain and fears they were experiencing.
She did not ignore the suffering of her time, or deny the difficult realities of life in the 1300’s. Which, in their own way, are not all that different from our own. Life is inherently unfair. Julian recognized that then, even as we see and live it now. Her words were hard-earned. They did not just fly through the air and land on her parchment pieces. She knew first-hand, and experienced the sufferings of her time; but with God’s grace was given the strength to survive them, that she might share these words with us today.
“All shall be well, and all shall be well,
And all manner of things shall be well.”
Simple though these words may be, they reflect a profound trust in God. A belief in the divine narrative that a loving universe will ultimately make all things right. Or, as the Bible says in Romans 8:28… “all things work together for good to those who love God.” There is a reason and rhyme to our lives. They count for something, even if we can’t see that at any given time. Overall, there is a greater purpose which we are part of, and as individuals, each of us has our own unique place in that divine narrative.
So, when life feels a little uncertain, or a tad on the overwhelming side… repeat these words, like a mantra. Over and over again. And feel a calm filling your heart, chasing the doubts and fears away… even if momentarily. Your mind can only hold one thought at a time – so let this be it. That all shall be well… and all manner of things shall also eventually be well.
God Bless.
