Welcome to the Faithful Four. After weeks of learning and deliberating and voting and eschewing chocolate, we have whittled the field of 32 saintly souls down to four spiritual heroes: Constance, Julian of Norwich, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Sojourner Truth. All are worthy of the coveted Golden Halo, yet only one will end up with his or her mug on a mug.
Today Constance (Anna Courie) takes on Julian of Norwich (Amber Belldene); tomorrow Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Beth Lewis) battles Sojourner Truth (Megan Castellan). And on Spy Wednesday the championship round will take place with the Golden Halo announced at 8:00 am EST on Maundy Thursday.
In this round, we let our four remaining Celebrity Bloggers loose as they answer the question “Why should Saint XX win the Golden Halo?” In other words, they’ve been charged with letting us know why their particular saint is so awesome. We have also invited them to share their two favorite images of their saints.
To make it to the Faithful Four, Constance dispatched Dominic, Helena, and Vida Dutton Scudder with relative ease. Julian snuck past William Wilberforce, before defeating Roch and Albert Schweitzer.
Maybe one of these remaining four will end up on a future Pocket Lent card. What's that? Well the SEC released two new ones yesterday for your cutting and pasting pleasure.
Let the voting (once) begin!
Constance
Inside everyone is a secret desire to be a superhero at a time when the world needs heroes. We want to stand up and be more than we think we are capable. We want to have the passion for great deeds. We want to be the change we want to see in the world. I think this is what St. Paul calls the "Holy Spirit within us." This spirit-spark calls us all to greater things.
Constance and her Companions had this God-spark within them. They were called as educators, but took on the role as nurses and caregivers during the epidemic of yellow fever that destroyed Memphis, Tennessee in 1878. They took action when great deeds were needed in the town where God planted them. Constance and Her Companions stayed to make a difference. As one avid reader noted in response to my coined term, "Constance would Go," the appropriate tag-line should be "Constance Would Stay."
God calls us to stay through many difficult times. We all have the opportunity to bear witness to Christ's love to others in disease, infirmity, poverty, social ills, and wrongs, during times when humanity seems to bear down on us as a disease rather than a gift. God calls all of us.
Sure, voting for Constance and her Companions is a vote recognizing the wonder of a giving soul during a horrific disease. She not only gave of her
time, her energy and her passion, but in the end, she also gave of her life. With her last words, she continued to honor her love of God with a joyful, "Alleluia, Hosanna." Constance understood that even in death, we have the joy of the resurrection. Constance understood at her death that God was there, was a part of her, and a part of both life and death. God was a part of all of Constance.
A vote for Constance is a vote recognizing the God-spark in us all. It is a vote that acknowledges each of us in our own individual ways are saints that are called to honor God with our actions, deeds, words, writings, and lives. "Constance Would Go" may ring a bell with you, but you could easily replace it with your own name: "Anna Would Go;" "Tim Would Go;" "Scott Would Go;" "Joe Would Go;" "Jane Would Go." We all should Go (or stay) as God calls us. "A faith without works is no faith."
To "go" means to bear witness to all the actions of the saints. Therefore, whether you are called to the social activism of your saints, or the liturgical writings, or the creative songs, or passionate political stances, remember, a vote with "Constance would Go" is a vote for all the actions of all the saints.
Constance watercolor by Bill Branch. You can see more of his art online at his website, www.billbranchartist.com.
Julian of Norwich
It astonishes me as both a priest and a parent how quickly, even in the twenty-first century children come to think of God as male. I strive to use inclusive language in liturgy, preaching, teaching and our household God talk, and yet all it takes is the occasional male pronoun slipping in for children to make the leap.
Therefore, Julian’s feminist Trinitarian theology born in the fourteenth century is utterly astonishing. She sees Christ in the role of mother alongside God the father. God incarnate is best imagined via the physical nurture and love of a mother—birth, breastfeeding, and boo-boo tending.
And how does she know? Not by rigorous scholarship and systematic inquiry, but divine revelation—God showed her! I am immensely grateful for the education that allowed her to write down these showings, making her the first female author of a book in English.
Though her contributions are not only intellectual or theological, but pastoral. I know of countless people who have taken comfort in her optimistic vision of God, humanity, and eschatology. Many people have a favorite quote or passage they can reference—being clothed in God’s love, or the assurance that all will be well.
Personally, her vision of the hazelnut has brought me great comfort. Years ago, before becoming a mother of twins, I experienced years of 
infertility, culminating in a miscarriage. My wonderful spiritual director pointed me toward Julian, and I remembered the Bridge Building Images Icon of her that sat in the chapel at CDSP when I was in seminary.
"And in this Christ showed me a little thing, the quantity of a hazelnut, lying in the palm of my hand, as it seemed. And it was as round as any ball. I looked upon it with the eye of my understanding, and thought, 'What may this be?' And it was answered generally thus, 'It is all that is made.' I marveled how it might last, for I thought it might suddenly have fallen to nothing for littleness. And I was answered in my understanding: It lasts and ever shall, for God loves it. And so have all things their beginning by the love of God."
When I thought of the pregnancy I had lost, an embryo about the size of a hazelnut, I was deeply comforted by the idea that it had begun by God’s love and in some mysterious way would always have life in that love. Since that time, I have shared the quote with other grieving women in my pastoral care, and it always brings comfort.
Courageous, compassionate and ahead of her time, Julian is an inspiration and comfort to the modern Christian. She most assuredly deserves the Golden Halo.
NOTE: At about 3 p.m. EDT, we blocked an address in Towson, MD. While there were some legitimate votes from this address, there was also a concerted effort to cast extra votes for Constance. We are removing 500 votes for Constance, which is a very conservative number. More that 800 votes were cast for Constance, and we suspect that some of these votes are legitimate votes.
Reminder: Vote once only per person. Lobbying others to vote is fair game. Voting hundreds of times is not.
[poll id="169"]
229 comments on “Constance vs. Julian of Norwich”
Wow. This is the toughest matchup yet, for me. And both write-ups were fantastic, so for the first time in this year's Madness I'm unable to figure it out.
I love Lady Julian - but everybody knows her, and few know about Constance; it would be great to have an Episcopal nun win the Golden Halo. (I guess Constance is this year's Cinderella?) Don't know what I'm going to do once I post this, but I do know I'll be happy with either woman in the last round.....
Lets go Constance!!
Julian, with her whole being and her whole life, knew and experienced God's amazing love for us, and she shared that certainty with all of us. She's been a favorite of mine most of my life. I voted for God's tender, endless love.
Both ladies are truly awesome but I stick with Constance. Action speaks louder than words every time for me personally. Great write-ups on the two Saints today-THANK YOU!
Julian all the way says this small nut.
Probably gonna be a close one. Julian all the way for me.
I understand that some prefer action over contemplation--some like red wine, some white, they're both a matter of preference--but, for me, I know that Lady Julian and her writings have transformed the lives of countless people of faith over the centuries and she still inspires. I have been deeply indebted to her, since my days at Nashotah House back in the late 80s, when women's voices were oftentimes discounted and images of a masculine, patriarchal God prevailed. Her "Revelations" changed me and, with the friendship of my female student colleagues, helped to make me a a better person and one who has come to appreciate more fully the feminine in the Divine. Jesus as Mother? Certainly! The world in a hazelnut? Of course!
Thank you Lady Julian. This priest owes you a great debt of gratitude.
Constance's ministry was exemplary and well worthy of imitation. But Julian has had a deep place in my heart for many years. I once wrote these word to a friend going through a difficult and painful time in life: "The best I can do is to repeat that somehow in the end it will be all right. That statement is for me the bottom line of faith: that somehow, in the end, it will be all right." I realized, then, that I was paraphrasing Julian, who said it much better than I: "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."
Or as put by Maggie Smith in the "Most Exotic Marigold Hotel" (a delightful film)
"Things will be all right in the end. If they're not all right, it means it's not yet the end."
"Like."
I love that. Thank you for that extra bit of spirit today!
Two wonderful and moving essays! Again, a tough choice; however, I have to go with action in the real and messy world over contemplation. I guess it's the deacon thing.
The blogs were great. I thought I would vote for Julian, but something in in lowly servant description of Constance made me want her to get a halo this year.
Beautiful summations, Anna and Amber. Thank you so much. Amber, I've been down that road of being conception-challenged, and it was during that time that Julian spoke to me as well. Maybe she lived a long, long time ago, and maybe she lived in a tiny room in England and never left it. Yet she travelled across six centuries with her revelation which I took to heart: "All shall be well." And if that ain't faith in action, I don't know what is. And don't even get me started on the God-as-Mother concept. This has been a life-saving revelation for me as well. Thank God for Mother Julian!
I teach Godly Play to 5th and 6th graders and I continually struggle to search for ways to include the female voice in our Godly Play stories. (shoutout to Godly Play--updates to the stories is long overdue) Julian's vision of God as Mother is such an important concept for the spiritual development of our young woman in the Church today that I'm supporting her all the way to the Golden Halo. In the name of the MOTHER, the son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen!
While Constance's action is admirable and inspiring, I have to go with Julian. She wrote words that became a knot for me to hang on to when I was at the end of my rope; she gave me hope through showing God as present and active.
Really tough this morning. We all want to be like Constance and "do" jumping in with both feet but sometimes that isn't possible. Julian has been teaching us to think for centuries so I vote for her as we all can to that and often thought leads to action too.
Beautifully written bios. Thank you. I voted for Julian because, while Constance made a tremendous difference in her time and place, Julian has guided people through centuries and into the future, helping us realized that all truly shall be well.
Exactly my thoughts Ann!
At the moment, this is quite the nail-biter--except I know Constance would just smile kindly and chuckle, and Julian would pat my hand and pour us all a cup of tea. This year's Faithful Four is impossibly admirable, and I ask the SEC to add an honor for whichever two are left behind in the final round. How about bronze wings for third place and St. Congeniality for fourth place?
A comforting thought concerning strong allegiances to particular favorites - and one Golden Halo: All will be well!
Note to Reverend Amber Belldene: When you mentioned you went to CDSP, I wanted you to know that my husband's father, also an Episcopal priest, was Dr. Samuel M. Garrett, Professor of Church History there. There is even a chair named after him. He probably taught before your time there and more's the pity. He was a superb instructor. I have been fortunate to have listened to tapes of some of his lectures.
The touching words you wrote today about Julian and how her words related to your own life's experience influenced me to vote for Julian. Thank you for writing such a befitting metaphor.
Just to say that I knew Sam Garrett at CDSP and remember him with fondness. Doesn't help me decide how to vote, though!
Wow. A tight race for sure. I needed the conversation of all to decide, and I agree, either would be noble participants in the final round! I ended with Julian, who has so much to say to a nation in which - as I've been reading - not only one in five college women but one in five female high school students experiences sexual assault. And that doesn't even consider post-school women. We need the feminine in God for those of us who carry this pain.
A friend mentioned yesterday that our culture is losing more and more contact with the feminine and the pequilar aspects of our political life is reflecting this. Listen to the FreshbAir program http://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2016/02/29/467959873/teen-girls-and-social-media-a-story-of-secret-lives-and-misogyny# about how hypermasculine values are affecting the lives of teens. I have had two friends who have their cars keyed and their Hillary bumper stickers torn off. So, voting for Julian though Constance will likely be my favorite in another year.
Thanks for the link, Alethea!
I voted for Constance for her acts. I think Constance was the more impressive role model.
Julian for me today, though I without them both faith makes little sense. Constance could go because of Julian, and so it is she today.
I love the hazelnut story about Julian, but Constance is my superhero God spark! I have to vote for Constance so I can get a mug with her name for my sister in law, Sister Constance, who prays so diligently in Boulder Junction, WI.
The God-spark in me casts my vote for Constance. Anna's essay is beautifully written and inspiring to read this Holy Monday. Constance embodies all the actions of all the saints.
Thank you!
"The God spark," gets my vote today. Constance reminds me of the things I can do to be God centered in my life and listen to his call. Julian's hazelnut almost won my vote. It took a long time to decide this year. Go or stay is the question. I am not sure what I would have done. I hope I would have stayed.
This was the hardest choice for me - both Constance and Julian have a special role in my understanding of God, and of living faith.
Two women who embodied the best kinds of active and contemplative Christian faith. I had to go for Julian because I love her, but they would both wear the halo well!
Thanks for sharing our Constance window at All Saints' here in Duncan, OK.
This was tough, I had to look up eschatology, but in the end it was the "God Spark" that lead me, Constance it must be.
Julian of Norwich. Just think. Her astonishing revelations offered to all who came to speak with her thirsting for God. She showed so many how God thinks of creation made with loving hands. She showed so many that God made us, loves, cares for us. She lived in a cell and imparted to so many from a small window the way to live and walk with God.
Thank you to both our essayists for speaking from the heart of Christ about these two splendid love songs from the Holy One. My tendency is to go with Julian, simply because, without carving out time for the contemplative life and its felt experience of God's love, we can become burned out and duty bound in our active life in service to the world. As our secular world continues to worship the gods of efficiency and speed instead of the God of Love and soul, I believe it is crucial that we return to our contemplative roots and act from this place in the world. Julian is a great soul who can point the way. Indeed, when one has a felt experience of God's love, one doesn't really "act" anymore. One is "propelled" by that love to serve from the sheer gratitude of it all. Like Constance so clearly did.
My nurse colleague and I are getting ready to leave for our fifth trip to Haiti the week after Easter. Although we will take Julian's admonition that all shall be well with us, it will be Constance's hands and heart that serve. Pray for all of us meeting at the Haiti Connection of the Episcopal church that we may have the mind of Julian and the hands and heart of Constance. The world needs both.
Betty: as a fellow nurse I send blessings and prayers for you and your colleague as you travel and for your work in Haiti. May Julian guide you and may Constance support you as God leads you in holy work