Today marks the third of seven posts from Julian of Norwich. I admit, the language is Middle English and can be challenging to understand, so let’s work through it together. And let’s how it links to my word for the year – needful – and to our desire to grow in generosity.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
“Our Lord willeth that we know this in the faith and the belief; and especially that we have all this blessed will whole and safe in our Lord Jesus Christ. For that same kind that Heaven shall be filled with behoveth needs, of God’s rightfulness, so to have been knit and oned to Him, that therein was kept a substance which might never, nor should, be parted from Him; and that through His own good will in His endless foreseeing purpose. But notwithstanding this rightful knitting and this endless oneing, yet the redemption and the again-buying of mankind is needful and speedful in everything, as it is done for the same intent and to the same end that Holy Church in our Faith us teacheth.”
Julian of Norwich (c. 1342-c. 1416) in Revelations of Divine Love (Grand Rapids: CCEL, 1966), p. 62-63.
What just happened on the cross and through the resurrection? All who receive Christ are made one with Him.
Julian likes to describe it with the word ‘oneing’ or to be ‘oned’ with Christ. And I like her word picture that the work God did was ‘rightful knitting’ that was ‘needful and speedful’ for mankind.
God, through Christ knitted and oned us to Himself and nothing can separate us from Him.
This gives us confidence. We can live, give, serve, and love generously because the God of the universe who made us practiced the “again-buying” of mankind to be oned with us. Notice how generosity comes into view.
His again-buying of mankind was just what we needed and the cost was His blood. Now, nothing can separate us from Him, we are knit together with Him.
You don’t need to worry about living the Christian life after Lent. Why? You have everything you have ever needed, that you need, and that you will ever need. In the famous words of Julian of Norwich, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”