Thought for the day, Friday 15th April

From Julian of Norwich, The Showings: A Contemporary Translation by Mirabai Starr

“Next, I had a physical vision of the face on the crucifix. As I stared at it, the face began to shift and change. I beheld aspects of his passion: vile contempt, spitting and pummelling, and more excruciating wounds than I could possibly count… This vision was physical, but dim, and it filled my heart with sorrow. I wished for more light, so I could more clearly see what was going on.

But no sooner did I have this desire than a voice spoke in my mind: If God wants to show you more, he will be your light. You need no other light than him. There I was, seeing him and seeking him at the same time! We are so blind, so foolish. We do not start seeking God until he begins to show himself to us. Then, when he reveals a glimpse of himself to us, through his grace, that same grace inspires us to strive to see him more perfectly. In this way I saw him and I looked for him; I had him and I longed for him. As I see it, this is the way things are, and the way things ought to be.

At some point, my mind was plunged into the depths of the sea. I saw green hills and valleys, which seemed to be covered in tiny pebbles, strewn with seaweed and moss. What I realized was that even if a man or woman were brought down to the bottom of the ocean each could still see God. This is because there is nowhere that God is not. Not only is God everywhere, but he keeps us safe and protected from harm wherever we are. When we see God, we have more strength and comfort that we can possibly describe with the language of this world. We believe that we hardly see God at all, but what he desires is for us to believe that we see him continuously. It is through this belief that we receive his grace. He wishes to be seen and to be sought. He wants us to yearn for him and to trust in him.”