In my devotions this week, I opened my heart and thoughts to this piece. It has been playing over my spirit since I first read it. It expounds on the writings of Julian of Norwich, 14th century English mystic. Julian said that we are not merely made by God but are made “of God”. This simple yet radical statement has breathtaking implications.
What does it mean to say that we are made of God rather than simply by God? In part it is to say that holy wisdom is deep within us, deeper than the ignorance of what we have done. Sacred creativity is at the core of our being, deeper than any barrenness in our lives or relationships. The divine passion for what is just and right is our true heart’s desire, deeper than the apathies and falsenesses that have disabled us. And above all else it is to say, as Julian does, that the “love-longing” of God is at the core of our being, deeper than any fear or hatred that holds us in separation.
We are made of the One. Deep within us, amid our differentiations as individuals and nations and species, is the desire for oneness. This holy longing is found not only in the human soul but in the soul of the universe, at the heart of everything that has being. We are not an exception to the universe. We are an expression of the universe. Our longings are a unique manifestation of the universe’s longings. In listening to the depths of life, within our lives and within every life, we will hear the longings of the One that are deeper than the fears that divide us.
–A New Harmony: The Spirit, the Earth, and the Human Soul,
by John Philip Newell, 2011
As we inch ever closer to election day, remembering and kindling the holy longings that lie deep within our hearts will move us past division, fear and apathy. Hold fast. Take a break from the noise that calls out for separation and us vs. them thinking. Take a walk and breathe in the wind of the moment. Say hello to your neighbors. Consider what would be the wildest and most loving activity you could unleash right now and take delight for this creativity is a part of something bigger and broader than can be imagined and it is your true self.
Amanda Atkin
Associate Minister of Faith Formation