All Fall Down

It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the news.  Protests and revolution are sweeping through the Middle Eastern countries like a line of dominoes, and suddenly Wisconsin (Wisconsin!) is in the spotlight as a battle between the new governor and labor leaders over spending and jobs and state workers' rights escalates and becomes part of a national debate.  Everyone is worried about debt - national debt, state debt, personal debt - at a time when many are still out of work and proposed budget cuts could add millions to the ranks of the unemployed.

And the words of Qoheleth, the preacher, the voice of the Book of Ecclesiastes, come to mind.  All is vanity.  All is a breath, a puff of wind.

And then Dame Julian of Norwich.  "All shall be well, all shall be well, all manner of things shall be well," which is what Jesus says to her in a vision, just after he says, "Sin is necessary."

I sometimes find it difficult to navigate between the worlds of the New York Times, CNN, and these days Al Jazeera, and Julian of Norwich.  This is always a struggle - being involved, informed, invested in our world and at the same time being confident that all shall be well because in the end God will make everything right.

I believe it, I believe that at the last God will wipe away every tear, but the tears are so real now.  The Friday prayer from the BCP (see previous post) is real for us as it was real for Jesus.   Suffering is real now but joy will come.  And so in the meantime, let us pray for peace and for God's presence and mercy for all who are suffering, that they may have hope that all shall be well.