All SHALL Be Well

"All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well."

I know I wrote using this quote from Julian of Norwich only a few months ago, but this is my lifeline, my call, and my mantra just now. I wear a chain with a silver möbius strip around my neck. Julian's words are etched into the silver. I find myself fingering the twisted circle as I think and pray. This reminds me that I am a small finite part of this divine dance of God's grace and love. The entirety is much larger than I in so many ways. 

This past Sunday, our district superintendent, Cathy Abbott, preached in worship at Christ Crossman reminding us that our greatest call is to align ourselves as closely as ever we can with God's will--not my will, but your will, O God, you who call us to do justice, to love mercy/kindness, to walk humbly with you. If our hearts are aligned with yours then we will seek this path in all our relationships. Still, there is no guarantee that we will not make mistakes, that we will not mishear, that we will not misjudge our steps. What is our recourse? With the psalmist, I cry:

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.

Lord, hear my voice!

Let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,

Lord, who could stand?

But there is forgiveness with you,

so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,

and in his word I hope;

my soul waits for the Lord

more than those who watch for the morning.

More than those who watch for the morning,

O Israel, hope in the Lord!

For with the Lord there is steadfast love,

and with him is great power to redeem.

It is he who will redeem Israel

from all its iniquities.

Thus, it is not a simplistic statement of faith. Rather it is a deep abiding affirmation that our beginning, our end, and our present are within the God who stands with those watching in the morning. Look, there is our hope. See, there is love. All SHALL be well!