By Revd Lucy Austin

Last week Heather wrote of hope. Hope which draws its power from a deep trust in God.

Tomorrow, May 8th is a day for celebrating hope for the future.

On May 8th the Church particularly remembers Julian of Norwich.

We give thanks to God for her life, and her optimism. “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well”, she wrote. Mother Julian was an anchorite in the Middle Ages and lived through the Black Plague. She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love. Her writings and beliefs are superbly optimistic! 600 years on, they speak to our times.

Pope Benedict XVI in his General Audience in December 2010 explained: “ It is known that God, even in periods of tribulation, does not cease to inspire figures such as Julian of Norwich, to recall people to peace, love and joy. Inspired by divine love, Julian made a radical decision. Like an ancient anchoress, she decided to live in a cell located near the church called after St Julian, in the city of Norwich. I recall with admiration and gratitude the women and men who have lived cloistered lives, and the monasteries themselves. Today more than ever they are oases of peace and hope, a precious treasure for the whole Church, especially since they recall the primacy of God and the importance, for the journey of faith, of constant and intense prayer.”

Tomorrow too, we remember VE Day which marked the end of World War Two in Europe. Huge crowds took to the streets on 8 May 1945 to sing, dance and rejoice after nearly six years of war.

It was a glorious celebration of optimism for the future.

Last Monday World War Two veterans watched the celebration procession from the end of the Mall at the Queen Victoria Memorial, alongside three generations of the Royal Family at the military parade in London. The procession was followed by a flypast of current and historic military aircraft. Led by one of aged Lancaster bombers as well as some of the most advanced combat aircraft, it also featured the Royal Air Force’s Red Arrows, famous for their red, white and blue smoke trails in the sky. We, like many others, watched the display on TV. Then we heard them flying home over Stokenchurch, but they were obscured by the clouds.

John, the writer of the Revelation, was in solitary confinement when he received and wrote his vision. He had every reason to give up, but instead, he called his companions in Christ to cling to hope. He reminded them of the meaning and power of Christ’s resurrection and encouraged them to keep working to make God’s Kingdom a reality in their lives. The truth of John’s vision is not just for the first century. Nor is it for some unknown future time. It is a vision of hope for all people in all times—and it speaks profoundly into our current chaos.

We need to hear John’s message again. We need to remember what the resurrection means for us right here and right now. And we need to commit once again to follow Jesus’ way of love and justice in our lives and relationships.

Living out our unquenchable optimism for today, for tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow …..

……. until Kingdom come.

with much love and many blessings
Lucy