All Shall Be Well, and yet...

“All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.” Julian of Norwich’s statement is so true, and yet so distant from so many people’s lives.

In the span of a few hours, I have witnessed that distance. I had a young man sit with me—eyes filled with tears—because a friend had overdosed, a young woman whom he had briefly dated in the past. He will go to see her body tomorrow. Currently he sees no hope.

A young woman is suffused with anxiety. Her parents neglected to take care of the financial forms needed for school. She might have to sit out a semester.

A friend on the way home from celebrating a wedding with his wife and friends were involved in an accident where he witnessed both graciousness from police of one jurisdiction and terrible racism and belligerence from officers of another jurisdiction. He stood as witness and called it out.

It is one thing to say that in the end God’s will of grace and love will be done, will be accomplished in this world and all creation, and quite another to sit with people in the midst of what seems hopeless.

I truly believe Julian’s affirmation of faith. It is mine as well. And yet it is not helpful to apply it in a slaphappy manner, like a band-aid on a boo-boo. There are times when we simply have to offer our presence—holding that solid affirmation silently within—speaking little.

I know in the end all shall be well, but that does not mean everything in everyone’s life will be well now. There are people who will die because of drugs, because of violence. There are people whose parents are neglectful.

So, Lord, tonight, I pray mercy. I have no more words. I cannot apply a simple salve and make everything okay. I cannot even protect the sons I loved from pain, heartache, or despair. Mercy, Lord, mercy.

Romans 8:26

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.