James 4:13-17
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well…for there is a force of love moving through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go.
-Julian of Norwich
Last week we were wondering what this week would bring. We committed to one another that no matter what, we would love people and support each other. Then this week happened and here we are. I’m reminding you that we are facing current events with love.
I’m hearing from lots of people this week. A few are exuberant. Most are feeling depressed or angry or anxious or uncertain. Whatever part of those words fit you today, welcome. Here we are.
People I know are asking each other how they feel and what they are going to do next. I’m feeling a little pressure to say something wise and helpful. So far I’ve discovered two things that aren’t helpful: eating lots of ice cream and playing games on my phone in the middle of the night. Neither made me feel better. Truth is, I have no idea what comes next. One author I read, Ann Lamott, I think, suggests that “I don’t know” is the best answer of all. When life makes big shifts, we truly don’t know how we’ll react or what we should do. For at least a little while, it’s a good idea to do nothing. Go for a walk. Drink lots of water. Wait for clarity. Life is going to go on whether we have answers or not, whether we understand what’s happening or not.
James comes through for us in that vein today: You do not even know what tomorrow will bring. So, he suggests, don’t get caught up in grandiose plans. Just say, “God willing.” Maybe we’ll get a big new job and move across the country. God willing. Maybe we won’t. God willing. I don’t think James is telling us that we need to wait for God to micromanage our lives, but rather that we don’t have to know what the future will bring to be alright. Who said, “The only thing certain is death and taxes?” Right now, taxes are pretty much up in the air. And it’s clear that at least for now death isn’t on our agenda. So that leaves this moment, and we can manage this moment.
Someone else I read suggested that middle class white folk should just get over all this election anxiety. Black folk, indigenous folk, immigrants, poor folk have all been waking up every morning in a country that wasn’t very much on their side, and they’ve made it through. They’ve even managed to live good lives and be happy. Chances are we will too. At least today and probably tomorrow, God willing.
Sometime in the early morning Wednesday someone posted on Facebook the quote from Julian of Norwich that we read today. Julian was an anchoress in the church of St. Julian in Norwich, England, which was a major city in the 14th century. As an anchoress she lived in a single room attached to the outer wall of the church. Once she entered the room, she never left it until her death, although people could bring her food and clothing as needed and come to ask her to pray for them. She had a window which looked at the altar at the front of the church so that she could see and hear daily mass and participate in the prayers. Julian is known for a vision she had in 1373 of the crucifixion of Jesus which convinced her of his overwhelming love. She wrote about that in a book, which is earliest known writing by a woman in English. Her vision convinced her that God’s love was the strongest reality of our lives, and we can count on it without reservation.
We’ve read a lot about how hard life was in the first century, yet Jesus’ followers lived in communities of joy, caring for and supporting each other. Julian lived through plague and wars and the hardships of life in the 14th century, but she writes of the great joy of God’s love. People have gone through hard times in the history of our country, but they have lived with joy and taken care of each other. All this week as I’ve talked with people who are worried about the future and who will suffer from new government policies, I’ve also been reminded that the love of God is strong for each an every one. God isn’t going to fix our country or our politics or convert a lot of people to our way of thinking. But not one thing can happen in the days ahead to take God’s love away from us.
What does it mean for God to love us in this moment? Some folks want us to think that God shows love by answering prayers and helping us get our way. Maybe by winning an election. Maybe by getting rich off new tax cuts or deportation programs. That God sits somewhere called heaven and decides who gets good things and who doesn’t, who is happy and who isn’t. That’s not what I mean by God’s love. More and more I’m convinced that God is Life and God IS Love. God is the life energy that’s in our veins and in the universe. God moves through all that we are – our breath, our thoughts, our actions, our relationships. God connects us with everything that is. God moves in our living by drawing out love as we go through each day. God isn’t going to intervene on anyone’s side to heal our country, but God is going to be mightily present wherever people are coming together and caring for one another. We may feel a little bit abandoned right now, but God is just as present as ever and the power of love is as strong as ever we need it to be.
So what do we do next?
We wait for clarity. I don’t know what will be helpful or important. But time will tell and we will see it.
We watch for God-shaped opportunities to do good and show love. We will see them. Eight years ago when I was in Mayo Clinic for bone marrow transplant (with Pat’s good help and care), we kept a gratitude journal. Every night before bed we wrote down all the good things that had happened that day. I think those were hard days, but I don’t remember any of the hardship, I only remember the gratitude. I suggest that you try it – keep a journal of every kindness you see in the days ahead.
We stand ready to protect those we can protect from harm. I don’t know what that will mean. Maybe calling our representatives to protest harmful laws, or calling attention to bad policy or going with people to court.
We believe in the power of God which is the power of love.
As Julian reminds us across the centuries:
All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well…for there is a force of love moving through the universe that holds us fast and will never let us go.