MOTHER JULIAN

      I first came across this historical religious figure while reading and found her fascinating. She lived in Norwich, England, during medieval times, shut herself up in a cell and existed on donations of those who came to hear her advice. Her most well known and oft used line: All shall be well and all shall be well. Think about it. Think of the import of those words and why so many followed her devotedly - and why this simple, perhaps puzzling statement is relevant to our times.

Different emphasis changes the applicability of the sentence parts. All shall be well. What a significant assurance from a beloved and cherished holy figure. All will be okay, soon enough, a statement of power, a statement of belief, for if Mother Julian said it, then surely it would be true. Through famine, drought, floods and illness, rebellion and starvation, always, one knew ALL would be well - in time, so wait it out.

When the last word, Well, is emphasized, think of that powerful assurance. At a time when  the population of the world was being decimated, not once, but over and over again, with yearly bouts of the sweating sickness, smallpox, other diseases that killed so many, with constant civil wars going on,  here is the assurance that all will be WELL. Healing will take place.

So .... what is the relevance to present times? Just about everything! What an unbelievably strong statement of faith and reassurance during a time of great uncertainty, when one literally is fighting to avoid a deadly disease or spreading it to loved ones, or when the supposed head of country suborns overthrow of said country, when citizens are doing exactly what I predicted - fighting in the streets, blood flowing, and statements of rebellion, of secession, of ripping apart this union of states - well, all shall be well and all shall be well.

If only. If only. Wish I could share in that strong and simple faith. Oh, I can hope, we all can hope, but reality appears to intervene and at the very least, will push off the benefits of that statement. The vaccine  doses are heading out - but not nearly enough. Who will get it, how will we value life, will the 'rich and mighty' cut the line - these and many other questions remain to be answered, including the very process of getting an assignment of dose time. 

Question. Will there even be able to be an orderly process or will yesterday's fighting in DC, with the Proud Boys, disgusting, hateful, white supremacists who purport to represent patriotism, simply and truthfully the Brown Shirts of Hitler in modern reincarnation, well, will they and their kind rule the day. Are they? Is that what we want, what we will allow? Is it?

Well, with 127 Republican legislators on the federal level and among the highest ranking in the Party, signing off on a treasonous attempt to overthrow the government, to negate a pillar of our nation, of our democracy, well, what can one think? When 17 attorneys general, supposedly educated people, sign off on a dangerous suit to SCOTUS, well, what can one but think? All shall be well? Not yet. Not yet.

The dangerous idiot from Texas rants about secession. He is answered succinctly and powerfully.  "My guy Abraham Lincoln and the Union soldiers already told you no,". But words do not always carry the day, especially when dealing with unthinking, hypnotized people, suffering from mob behavior and belief. A figure going along with the mob resigns personal responsibility, consciously or unconsciously, and participates in behavior that otherwise would appall them. Their individual responsibility takes a vacation, much to the detriment of the nation.

The next generation or two will ask, as they always do, what one did during the time of danger? Did they participate? Did they stand by the side? Did they struggle to retain our country, our nation? What did they do? What did you do, Daddy, Mommy, Grandpa, Grandma? What did you do - or not? The truth, please. As one character in a novel put it: "Things have a way of swimming up into the light. It doesn't matter how far you've clawed your way up the ladder, the bodies never stay buried forever." In other words, as I, and others have long maintained, the truth will out. It always does, always will and when the whole truth does come out, when consequences are assigned - then, indeed, all shall be well and we can then hope that we can combat future illness; thus, all shall be Well, - we hope.

Vigilance is required. Understanding, education, civility, civic responsibility, true patriotism, equality, humanity - a few of the concepts that are required to be present and alive if our country is to make a comeback. We have been severely damaged these past five years, from the time of the institution of the campaign till defeat and the next President. What a job he has. Hopefully, what a job he and Kamala and associates will do - along with the necessary cooperation of all of us.

For now, we must all speak out. We must speak up about the so wrong elements of society, the support of those who violate their oaths to this country and its citizens. "To remain silent and indifferent is the greatest sin of all." So warned us Elie Wiesel. We must take it seriously. All shall be well and all shall be well - if we truly wish to fight the good fight and make it so. Would that we will. Would that we shall. We have the power within us to do so.

"When we have much to lose, but still choose to do the right thing, we uncover the nobility that is within all of us. "

 The greatest and most heroic figures of history - often the common person who rises to the challenge - knew that we have to actively participate in making our own lives what they should be. Simply to state that all will be well, as noble and hopeful and faithful as that is - in all religions - where assurance is always given - well, one has to stand up and help oneself as well. Then, and only then, will all be well - in any interpretation of it.