Julian of Norwich — 21st century lessons from a 14th century mystic

Julian of Norwich was an anchoress and mystic born in 1343, and the earliest woman writing in the English language whose work still survives. Her life spanned some of the most chaotic periods of English history, the peasants revolt, the suppression of the Lollards, and black death swept Europe, taking with it huge proportions of the population. When she was thirty years old she was struck ill and seemed to be dying. She had the last rites read, and the parish priest was sent to sit with her, bringing with him a cross to hold before her eyes.

As she looked at the cross she saw the blood running down the face of Christ, and had a series of visions that she describes as “showings” in which she speaks with Jesus about the meaning of Christian suffering. Much of it is what you would describe as ordinary Catholicism, but it is also strikingly mystical in nature, and she reaches again and again the unequivocal conclusion of the all encompassing love that constitutes reality, repeating the phrase ‘all shall be well, all manner of thing shall be well’.

She wrote these “showings” in two texts, called the short and the long texts. If you are Christian, religious or not, there is much to be learned from these extraordinary writings. If you haven’t read them, they are worth delving into yourself, but here are some…