Happy Monday! We trust everyone survived a day without Lent Madness and is ready to get back into the voting fray. We kick off the week with what will sure to be a hotly contested battle between Julian of Norwich and William Wilberforce. 14th century Mystic vs. 18th century Reformer. Who will move on to the Round of the Saintly Sixteen? Well, that's up to the global Lent Madness community.
Over the weekend, in the only Saturday matchup of Lent Madness 2016, Methodius defeated his brother Cyril. Lent Madness bracketologists will note that this was not the first brother vs. brother contest. In the first round of the 2014 Saintly Smackdown, eventual Golden Halo winner Charles Wesley dethroned his brother John. Thus there is indeed precedence for hagiographic fratricide.
As a reminder of how this whole process works, the Supreme Executive Committee, released the Ten Commandments of Lent Madness. We encourage everyone who thought pitting Cyril vs. Methodius was "unfair" to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest these rules of the Lenten road.
Finally, some have asked where they can go to see previous results from Lent Madness 2016. Fortunately, we have an amazing Bracket Czar, Adam Thomas, who updates the bracket every day. If you click the Bracket tab on the website, you'll find an updated bracket along with clickable links to the battles that have already taken place. Scroll down on the same tab and you'll encounter the 2016 Matchup Calendar, where you can find out the precise date your favorite saint will be entering the Lent Dome to do battle.
Julian of Norwich
We know very little about Julian of Norwich. Her name is derived from the place where she devoted herself to a life of solitary prayer, study, and writing—the Church of Saint Julian. Her works date her life to the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, during a period of rampant epidemics of the Black Plague.
In 1373, at around the age of thirty, Julian suffered from a severe illness during which she had visions of Jesus Christ. She wrote them down immediately, and the 11,000-word text is believed to be the earliest surviving book written by a woman in the English language.
Around 1393, Julian explored the meaning of the visions in a longer version of Revelations of Divine Love. The book was widely read and is still embraced by both Catholics and Protestants as offering important and profound mystical insight into the nature of God. Julian believed sin was a necessary step to knowing one’s self and accepting God’s love. She taught that we sin because we are naive. To learn we must fail, and to fail we must sin.
She worried over the fate of those who were not raised in the Christian faith and had never heard the gospel. But she came to believe that God does everything in love, and therefore, “that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” possibly making her an early believer in universal salvation.
Julian described Jesus as a mother who is wise, loving, and merciful. She believed the bond between mother and child was the closest earthly relationship one could have to the love of Jesus. She also used metaphors of conception, nursing, and labor in connection with Jesus’ love, but at other times called him our brother.
Collect for Julian of Norwich
Lord God, in your compassion you granted to the Lady Julian many revelations of your nurturing and sustaining love: Move our hearts, like hers, to seek you above all things, for in giving us yourself you give us all; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
William Wilberforce
William Wilberforce was born on August 24, 1759. Family bequests left him independently wealthy, which allowed him to pursue a life of his own choosing. An affluent, educated politician and Christian who lived out his beliefs, Wilberforce defined himself through his devotion to dismantling slavery throughout the British Empire.
During a trip to the European continent, his spiritual life began to blossom, thanks to Bible reading and a commitment of service to God. Wilberforce’s embrace of Christianity prompted his interest in governmental and human rights reform.
Elected to the House of Commons in 1780 (a seat he held for forty-five years), Wilberforce was someone who commanded an audience. He was introduced to the horrors of the slave trade in 1787 by a group of anti-slave activists. His epiphany was stunning, and his dedication to abolishing slavery was lifelong. A journal entry indicated, “God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.”
His campaigns eventually led to the passage of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished the slave trade in the British Empire but did not abolish slavery as a practice. Those who were already slaves remained so. Wilberforce was not deterred, and his efforts to completely abolish slavery throughout the empire continued. Poor health forced his resignation from Parliament in 1826, but he persisted in his crusade. Eventually, he was instrumental in the creation and passage of the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which abolished slavery and emancipated all slaves in the British Empire.
Wilberforce died three days before Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act but was assured before his death that it would be ratified. Wilberforce died in London on July 29, 1833, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
Collect for William Wilberforce
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, kindle in your Church the never-failing gift of love, that, following the example of your servant William Wilberforce, we may have grace to defend the poor, and maintain the cause of those who have no helper; for the sake of him who gave his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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310 comments on “Julian of Norwich vs. William Wilberforce”
Before I read the bios I thought it would be a no brainer and I would vote for Julian of Norwich whose timeless message of hope and inspiration "all Will be Well" has been a guiding light in my light. BUT--- working so hard against society to abolish slavery and succeeding., that was a powerful ministry and actually did pull my vote...
I had to vote for Julian; she has had an important influence on my life. But this is one match-up where, if my choice does not advance, I will be quite happy to support the "opponent." Both these saints are totally admirable.
Most difficult Lent Madness choice ever, but I had to vote for Wilberforce, whose faith made such a concrete difference in the world and in so many individual lives.
William Wilberforce is an admirable man, but Julian has long been in my spiritual "vocabulary." I couldn't not vote for her. She said, "Sin is behovely" (inevitable), but goodness will prevail. I find myself drawn to the mystics. So frequently in these match-ups we see a choice between the active and the contemplative life. Must one be Martha or Mary? Can one be both? Today I vote for Julian and if she won the halo I would be satisfied. But if she did not, I think she would remain serene.
If Hillary and Bernie can toss a coin (six of them!) in Iowa, then so can I. Heads, it's Julian. Tails, it's William. Heads.
I'm glad the voting is close on this one (and that Julian is winning)!
I first met Julian in high school when I read Anya Seton's "Katherine," in which she is a very influential character. I met her again as an adult in choir when we sang William Matthias's "As Truly as God Is our Father (so just as Truly Is He our Mother)," for which Julian's writings provided the text. A 14th century Catholic feminist is an awe-inspiring witness, don't you think?you can hear this haunting anthem at this link:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_EFNzvWSWQM
And that is where I encountered her instructive and life-saving words, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
She has pulled me out of an existential ditch over the years more times than I can count.
While I am very grateful to William Wilberforce for his incredible ministry, I am personally indebted to the ministry of Julian.
I was wondering if anyone else had read Anya Seton's book. Yes, Julian of Norwich did play an important, though short, part.
William Wilberforce's legacy gave huge progress towards ending the slave trade and slavery, which impacted much of the Western Hemisphere. He may not have been the first to speak of the evils and horrors of human bondage but he made it his life's work to help end it. That so many today view owning a fellow human being unconscionable today is a testament to Wilberforce and so many others' efforts. Vote for William Wilberforce!
I don't know whether to praise Adam Thomas for his spiritual exercises in making such challenging juxtapositions or denounce him as a sadist. William Wilberforce.
To be clear, you only have the SEC to blame for the matchups. You're welcome.
And they are so much fun!
I assumed that any mention of anti-slavery would be an automatic win, so I'm quite surprised by the stats. As a writer, I know that writing is "work" ... and for the words of a woman in the 13th century to still be quoted today is pretty impressive work. I too believe that virtue isn't virtue until it comes up against vice and that those who live the gospel w/o knowing the gospel are the true saints. So, I am casting my vote for my soul sister.
I am voting for Julian because I believe that before we can act in the ways of mercy and remain steadfast in our witness, we must be deeply connected to G-d. Without that, our energy wanes and we tend to believe that we are accomplishing and succeeding because of will or righteousness -- which tends to make us vulnerable to all sorts of self-referenced egotism.
My reading about Wm. Wilberforce doesn't suggest that he was such an egotist, at all. (So please don't think I am saying that.) But the contemplative comes first, I think.
Frankly, I also think we need to pay more attention to the women whose faith and lives get swallowed up in the stories of men.
I agree. I can't act in faith for justice and dignity without trusting in God's love. The world's troubles are so devastating and overwhelming, I don't know how to begin to fight them without that grace.
Andrea, I love what you have said. "...before... to egotism". Please consider putting it up on a poster or as a thought for the day somewhere. Blessings to you.
Who would I prefer to have go all the way to the golden halo? In today's world, a wealthy man spending his life in service to those who are oppressed and exploited is a laudable role model. Wilberforce!
I don't think it is a good idea to separate out these two one from another as if Julian were only contemplative and Wilberforce were only active. Julian's ministry freed all of us to a deeper vision and experience of God. She may have been an anchoress, walled into her church, but there was no holding her down from changing us and the world. Wilberforce may have been more obviously in the public realm, but he was able to do what he did and persist because of his prayer life and deep reading of the Scripture. To be a great saint, we must be rooted in God and reach out to the world. And these are both great saints. May I and we do likewise!
Amen!
Julian had a lot of good things to say. I'm just going to leave this right here: “He said not 'Thou shalt not be tempested, thou shalt not be travailed, thou shalt not be dis-eased'; but he said, 'Thou shalt not be overcome.”
― Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
Eek! As soon as I voted for Julian I changed my mind and wished I had voted for wilberforce. In the pre-coffee morn contemplation won out; once awake I wish I had opted for the rarity--a moral politician.
It's a hard call. As much as I love the words of Julian, even quoted in Elliot's "Little Gidding," and I am impressed that she is the first known woman to write in The English language, I voted for Wilberforce. His determination brought about the Slavery Abolition Act, a whole generation before the Emancipation Proclamation. I just love those Brits.
I am new to this whole Lent Madness thing, but after beginning a form of it with our youth group, it interested me. I am almost at a point that I may just flip a coin for this match up. Julian's beliefs that “that all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” are very similar to my personal religious values. William though is a very important figure in what interests me most, history! Abolition is my second most interesting historical topic to discuss, only behind the Holocaust. Very difficult decision, but believe I am going to go with Julian since I am focusing on religious reflection during Lent!
For me, this comes down to family.
I have a Norwich Terrier named Julian the Norwich.
Her quiet message that "All will be well" has seen me through
15 years of life's ups and downs.
Julian for the Golden Halo!!!
Something that we might want to remember about Wilberforce, whose legacy and example I really admire, he was too much of a dignified gentlemen to initially allow women membership and participation in his Antislavery Society. He believed activist work and door to door education were not fitting for ladies according to scripture? He also thought the women too radical in calling for an immediate end to slavery. His early work took down the slave trade only. A man of his times, yes, but at least we can say he indirectly helped kick off the suffrage movement through his Boys Only Attitude. So...I'm voting for Julian.
Pardon me but isn't "All will be well" x 3 a bit of overkill?
Read her book.
Overkill...kinda like Holy Holy Holy? (Wink,wink.). Redundancy has it's pros and cons. Xxx
Nah.
For years I have wondered "why?" and just what does it mean. Still no answers.
Only if you live in complete serenity and are never shaken by the chances and changes of this life. I myself need to be reminded over and over and over (3 times and more!).
I have given away about 12 medals of Julian bearing her "all will be well" believe. Also our talented choir director, who is also a renowned composer, has written/had us sung several powerful pieces using Julian's words. I support Julian!
Wilberforce could have sat on his laurels and done nothing but indulge himself- but he chose to be an advocate for the people who had no voice. Julian is interesting, but a high fever that yields a vision, which she wrote down, is not serving God like Wilberforce's tireless fight to free God's people. I vote for Wilberforce!!!
Balancing all of you who overthink these decisions. The decision is clear. Mr. Ed votes for the "Wilbur" Force. Of course. Come on.
Good old Mister Ed! (We're showing our age now, aren't we? 😉
Groan.
This match up is a great reason why the SEC prohibits us from voting twice. I would have voted for both saints, and so will be happy with either outcome. My vote is for Julian for her early embrace of universal salvation. That is not to take anything away from Wilberforce--except a vote that would have gone to him.
I must vote for Julian. Her "All shall be well" quote became my mantra during cancer treatment, and helps me get through any difficult day.
If doing the right thing qualifies a statesman/politician for the Golden Halo/sainthood, that may be a low threshold for politicians. Julian is truly a saint. Out of poverty and sickness she became devoted to Christ with no expectations of grandeur. Her works and thinking have inspired thousands throughout the ages. Nearly 700 years later people's spiritual practices and beliefs are shaped by Julian. While Lord Wilberforce did a mighty thing with his political connections and abilities and ended a terrible practice, I doubt 700 years after his life he will inspire those in the spiritual realm like Julian has done. For centuries. We are voting for the Golden Halo in the spiritual world and not for the Golden Achiever in the political or material world. Is there a single politician or material world leader heralded in the New Testamint? Or are the spiritually anointed like John the Baptist in the New Testament?
Have had a tough 2 weeks......Julian's words - all will be well - resonated loudly.
Enlightened being introduced to Julian of Norwich. I voted for Wilberforce having been much influenced by his work. Interesting outcome in the constant tension of personal holiness and social action.
Julian's words "All will be well, all manner of thing shall be well" came to my mind repeatedly back in 1971 when, at the age of 24, I was diagnosed with a serious form of cancer and found myself in a dark and scary place--a wilderness of sorts. Several years later, when I was doing some reading on the mystics, I learned the source of those persistent words. Much as I admire William Wilberforce and wish more politicians could be like him, my vote must go to that unknown companion in my wilderness of fear, Dame Julian. Her words continue to strengthen and inspire...
Wilberforce, easily.
Dedicated his life " in thought word and deed" to abolishing the scourge of " legal" slavery. Resonates profoundly today.