Julian of Norwich: on the Goodness of God

Julian of Norwich (1343-1413), the first great female writer in English, has influenced countless people in the 600 years since she lived. I recently came across an amazing passage in The Hidden Life (Crenshaw & Snapp, 2006), a book about Betty Skinner, a wise Christian woman who suffered with clinical depression yet found her way to wholeness to tell her story of dependence on God. Betty speaks of her experiences reading Julian in the mountains of North Carolina, at a place she came to call Julian's Rock:

"Julian of Norwich was a 14th century anchoress who lived in England during the Crusades and the Black Plague in Europe. At the age of thirty, she received sixteen revelations from God and then spent the rest of her life getting them down on paper. She lived in a small anchorage attached to the corner of the church. One window of the anchorage opened into the church so she could take the sacraments and the other window opened out into the world, so people could come to her for spiritual direction. In 14th century England, there were no psychologists, so these anchors and anchoresses served that purpose. And so, as I approached Julian's Rock, I would see myself coming to her window to glean her wisdom...

"I was deeply impressed by her simplicity. Julian had such a tender and intimate relationship with the Beloved...While pondering a tiny hazelnut in her hand, she experienced a simple yet profound awareness: God created it, God loved it, and God would care for it. Julian understood with a knowing beyond knowing that He would do no less for her: He created her, He loved her, and He would care for her. I learned from her that every circumstance in my life would work together for good whether it felt good or not. God reassured both of us by saying to her, 'I may make all things well, I can make all things well, I will to make all things well, and I shall make all things well. And you yourself shall see that all manner of things shall be well.'

"...Her revelations taught me to see that everything is the voice of Love, even unspeakable pain. Pain got my attention, brought me to the end of myself, and led me home to God. Without the pain, I would never have been pressed to engage in this spiritual journey that finally led to such joy and gratitude..."

"Julian was very real to me. She was my mentor. She still is." (pgs. 175-6)

As you encounter Julian of Norwich for yourself in the pages of Devotional Classics (pgs. 73-78), I invite you to post your own responses here. As always, you may easily comment as "anonymous".
A few questions to prompt you if you wish:

• If you were standing at the window of Julian's anchorage, what would you ask her?
• What elements of her medieval insights are relevant to you today?
• Julian reflects on God's relationship with the hazelnut. What is that "something small" in your life? What does it look like, from God's perspective?
• If, as Julian says, "God's goodness fills all his creatures and all his blessed works full and endlessly overflows in them," what does that tell us about ourselves?

Join us next week (Oct. 11-25) as we explore Thomas Merton, Devotional Classics, p. 65

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Questions or need help commenting? email me at karen@theologicalhorizons.org
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