Al Shall Be Wele: Chapter 18, "Here saw I a gret onyng betwyx Christe and us"

"Here saw I a gret onyng betwyx Christe and us"

In Chapter 18, Julian shares how the entirety of creation comes to sympathetically suffer with Christ at the time of his death. Even human persons who did not know or believe in Christ feel, at the moment of his death, a sense of eclipse, sorrow, and desolation. When Christ dies, the whole of creation suffers pain:

Here saw I a gret onyng betwyx Christe and us, to myn understondyng. For whan He was in payne, we were in peyne. And al cretures that might suffre payne suffrid with Hym, that is to sey, al cretures that God hathe made to our service. The firma­ment, the erth, faledyn for sorow in hyr kynde in the tyme of Crists deyng. For longith it kyndely to thir properte to know Hym for ther God in whome al ther vertue stondyth. Whan He faylid, than behovyd it nedis to them for kyndnes to faylon with Hym as mech as thei myght for sorow of His penys. And thus thei that were His frends suffryd peyne for love.

And generaly al, that is to sey, thei that knew Hym not, suffrid for feylyng of al manner of comfort save the myghty, privy kepyng of God. 

Translation:

Here saw I a great oneing between Christ and us, to my understanding. For when He was in pain, we were in pain. And all creatures that might suffer pain suffered with Him, that is to say, all creatures that God has made to our service. The firmament, the earth, failed for sorrow in their kind at the time of Christ's dying. For it belongs naturally to their property to know Him for their God, in whom all their virtue stands. When He failed, then it was necessary to them by nature to fail with Him as much as they might for sorrow of His pains. And thus they that were His friends suffered pain for love. 

And generally all, that is to say, they that knew Him not, suffered for failing of all manner of comfort except the mighty, private keeping of God.

The source of this sympathetic suffering is that there is "a gret onyng betwyx Christe and us." There is a great "oneing" between Christ and us, and not just us but the whole of creation. The cosmic Christology of Colossians 1 is on display here, where "all things" hold together in Christ. Thus, as Christ suffers, the whole of creation suffers. Paul also describes this sympathetic connection at work within creation when he speaks of creation "groaning" as if in childbirth. Julian sees some of this groaning at Christ's death, evidenced by natural signs of sorrow, like the clouds darkening the sun during Jesus' crucifixion and the earth shaking in grief when he dies.

The sorrow and pain that creation feels upon Christ's death brings it to the edge of failure. As many of us know, our sorrow can be so grievous that we feel like we are dying. Creation comes to this despairing nadir. But there, the grace of God meets the pain of the world. Despite the pain, it continues because of the "mighty, private keeping of God."