Julian of Norwich is without a doubt one of the most wonderful of all Christian voices.—Thomas Merton, Seeds of Destruction
Dr. Gloria Durka explores Thomas Merton’s love of Julian’s positive theology:
Learning to remain hopeful amidst the darkness of suffering is a struggle in which all of us become engaged from time to time—and it can be a bitter trial. The optimism of Julian can help us as it did Thomas Merton. In his book Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, Merton wrote the following:
I pray much to have a wise heart, and perhaps the rediscovery of Lady Julian of Norwich will help me. I took her book with me on a quiet walk among the cedars. She is a true theologian…. She first experienced, then thought, and the thoughtful deepening of experience worked it back into her life, deeper and deeper, until her whole life as a recluse at Norwich was simply a matter of getting completely saturated in the light she had received all at once…. Her life was lived in the belief in this “secret,” the “great deed” that the Lord will do on the Last Day, not a deed of destruction and revenge, but of mercy and of life, all partial expectations will be exploded and everything will be made right…. [1]
Julian’s writings are permeated with Christian hope. She experienced all of the aspects of hope in her own spiritual life: the rocklike dependability of God, the God who is always near, the God of the impossible, the God who is Father and Mother to us.
Julian was especially aware of the joyful character of hope…. Human joy is essential to Julian’s spirituality. To her, we are meant to be full of joy because our joy in God reflects the joy of the Trinity. Creation is an act of God’s joy. The more faithfully and hopefully we respond to God’s love in our life, the greater will be the fullness of our joy.
Was Julian ever more relevant? Her message of hope surely lightened the spirits of many in her troubled age. We probably need her message at least as much today. The threat of nuclear holocaust, the possibility of extinguishing all life forms on the planet earth, and deadly violence between warring peoples are daily reminders of the cloud of despair that hovers above us. Great faith and hope are required in order to penetrate the gloom caused by shattering events…. We need great faith and hope to see beyond the darkness of our personal life—our failures, weaknesses, and fears.
But gloom, fear, and anxiety are only one side of reality. The other side is that we are an Easter people. Even though suffering is real, the life, Passion, death, and Resurrection of Jesus have won for each of us the assurance that death is conquered…. Alleluia!
References:
[1] Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander (Image, 1968), 211–212.
Gloria Durka, Praying with Julian of Norwich (Christian Brothers Publications, 1989), 88–89, 90.
Image Credit and inspiration: Syuhei Inoue, untitled (detail), 2020, photo, Japan, Unsplash. Click here to enlarge image. The light streaming through the window represents Julian of Norwich’s quiet revelation; she is illuminated by a wisdom and strength she cannot contain or fully grasp—available to all of us, whether in peacetime or in crisis.
Story from Our Community:
I have been challenged to learn “to live in both worlds” by examining Julian of Norwich’s natural acceptance of God and Jesus as both Mother and Father. My inclusive journey seems so fraught with pain and disappointment as the majority of my Christian “family in the faith” view God as only male. Thank you for the invitation to learn to live in and accept both worlds. I deeply appreciate the steps Richard Rohr and the CAC have taken to be as inclusive as possible.
—Jenny S.
