‘A Radically Benevolent Universe’
Pictured: Earth Day Sunday, April 25, 2010
My Dear People,
Julian of Norwich, a fifteenth-century English mystic, is best remembered for the following words she heard God speak to her,
I can make all things well;
I will make all things well;
I shall make all things well;
and you can see for yourself that
all manner of things shall be well.
Countless Christians through the ages have been comforted and buoyed by those words and by Julian's deep trust in God and in God's saving power at work in the world.
The witness that Julian left us comes from the same deep trust in God from which Dr. King was speaking when he famously said, "The arc of history is long, but it bends toward justice."
And, more recently, Richard Rohr, a Franciscan, gives expression to that same faith, that is, to our faith, and its implications for the world in which we live, when he writes that, even with all that is not right with the world and in our lives, "Until we accept that ours is a radically benevolent universe, we are not Christians."
In a word, because of God, everything is ultimately on a divine trajectory.
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There is, however, a big "however." It is the "however" of "can" and "will" and "shall." That is, while the whole of the cosmos is indeed destined for redemption, we aren't there yet. And, of course, we are, in truth, far from "there," very far.
There is much healing, and repairing, and peacemaking to do. Much feeding and clothing and welcoming. Much praying, repenting, proclaiming, and celebrating to do. On the way to all things being well.
As we pray every Sunday, and sometimes more often, "Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in heaven."
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Last month, Buford Scott was quoted in the Richmond Times Dispatch, talking about the origins of Micah, "We made three decisions: Make a friend at church; bring a friend to church; and change the world."
And, indeed, over ten years later, many friends have been made; many friends have been brought to church; and the world has been changed.
In this month's Epistle, you'll read about a whole range of ways that God continues to work through us, here at St. Paul's, on Grace Street, bringing healing and hope and kindness and compassion to God's world and to God's children.
Yes, there's a lot of work still to do. That said, we know the end of the story, and, indeed, the Author of the story is with us in all that we do, as we do our part in helping the "can's" and the "will's" and the "shall's" become realities in God's benevolent universe.
Thanks be to God,
your brother in Christ,
Wallace+
