After the sermon I couldn't resist the opportunity to inform our visitor regarding the sex of the much-mentioned and blesséd Julian which brought the question, "Are you sure?" Well of course I was, and still am, and today as we commemorate one who might warrant a place on the dual podia of 'wacky' and 'wonderful' let's take a moment to consider this rather remarkable woman.
Julian, the source of that wonderful quote which encourages, sustains and upholds us:
"All shall be well and all shall be well and all manner of things shall be well."
This woman is a Premier league Anglican mystic and has the honour of being regarded as the first woman to write a book in the English language ('Revelations of Divine Love' c. 1373). Expected to die when she was thirty-one (1373) she recovered and carried on for another thirty-nine years (1412) and her revelations (AKA 'showings') draw us into a God who is loving and engaged with us.
Julian brought into the consciousness of those around her those 'Bazinga!' moments. Those times when you are overwhelmed by the grace, love, majesty or whatever of God. She saw love where others saw vengeance. Her words of hope and the 'looking on the bright side of God' were contrary to the circumstances, and mindset, of the place in which she found herself. All around her was doom, gloom, despair and decay. The plague, war, economic problems (sounds familiar) and more besides conspired to build a people who were downcast and aware only of a generally with a vengeful God (parallels here with the the exilic people). Against this we find in Julian a God who is Creator, Sustainer, Lover and protector and who towers above =circumstance and despair to bring life, hope and love.
I was given a copy of Julian's 'revelations' by a retired cleric in my title parish and the words within that volume bring life, causes excitement and are a source of light in the darkness that seeks, but fails, to overcome us.
Wacky? Well this woman and her anchoritic tendencies, the revelations and the way she lived all conspire to make her more than a little different. If only there were more wacky people around today :-)
Pax
2 comments:
MAJOR fail not to know the gender of whom one is preaching - especially someone as iconic as Julian. I do hope your congregation were not allowed to continue being misinformed, even at the cost of the preacher's reputation.
It is difficult though to see how someone who lived over a century before the Reformation could be classed as an "Anglican", as opposed to simply English, saint (except by adoption, along with many of those in our calendar).
I did inform people as to Julian's sex and I guess the 'Anglican' label reflects the fact she wasn't picked up to play on the RC side (although they do commemorate her in a few day time :-))
It's odd that people can be so enthusiastic about a person and fail to notice that they are female !!!
hey ho!
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