Confessions of a Liberal Puritan

. . . and all manner of things will be well.
Julian of Norwich

I just found out that the hardest-working, most pastoral (in the best, most genuine sense of the word), and downright nicest (though still delightfully snarky) person I work with has been let go. Her position was one of a number apparently eliminated over the course of meetings in the higher altitudes of the company this afternoon.

I was half-expecting to get the bad news about my job sometime this week, since I have the least seniority (though I also earn the least, which may be a reason I didn't get the ax . . . yet), but instead it was two of the most productive workers on our unit who were 'eliminated', one of whom had already packed up her office and left for good by the time the rest of us were told what had happened, and one of whom is the friend I mentioned above.

As she was hugging ME to offer comfort after the meeting announcing her departure a few minutes ago, my friend patted my back and murmured, "All will be well," to which I automatically replied, "And all will be well...", leaving her to finish, "And all manner of things will be well." It took me a second or two to realize we'd ended up quoting one of (if not the most) famous pronouncement of the medieval Christian mystic Julian of Norwich.

I hope -- and, in truth, I believe -- that Dame Julian knew what she was talking about, because we could definitely use some "shalom" (wellness, peace, wholeness, etc., in Hebrew) and "sozo" (to be made well, whole, or saved, etc., in N.T. Greek) around here.

Just because I can never think about the spiritual meaning of 'well' without going to that old hymn I first encountered as a young pastor at an ecumenical conference in 1990, I finally looked up the story behind the writing of "It is Well with My Soul" (a.k.a. "Peace Like a River").

I guess I know what I'll be singing to comfort myself on the long, dark walk to my car tonight.