EDP's winning entries of the Julian of Norwich writing comp

WINNER  

Divine Love 

By Sam Howell, aged 14

In the quiet of the chapel, she knelt before the altar, her eyes closed and her hands clasped in prayer. The flickering light of the candles cast a warm glow on her face, and the scent of incense filled the air. 

She had come here seeking solace, seeking answers, seeking divine love. For so long she had felt lost, adrift in a sea of uncertainty, and it seemed that no matter what she did, she could not find her way.  

She had heard of divine love before, of course, but she had never truly understood it until this moment. It was not the kind of love she had known before, the love of family and friends, but something greater, something that transcended human understanding.  

And as she sat there, bathed in the light of the candles, she felt a sense of clarity she had not known in years. She saw her life stretching out before her, filled with the light of the divine, and she knew that everything would be all right.The divine was with her, always, and with that knowledge came a sense of peace and a sense of purpose.  

The days that followed were not easy. There were still moments of doubt, moments of fear, moments when she wondered if she was truly on the right path. But each time those doubts crept in, she would close her eyes and remember the feeling of divine love she had experienced in the chapel. She would feel that warmth spreading through her chest once again, and she would know that everything was going to be all right.  

And through it all, she felt the presence of the divine with her, guiding her, giving her strength. She knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be, doing exactly what she was meant to do.For she knew that no matter what happened, no matter where her path might lead her, she would always be surrounded by that love. And with that knowledge, came a sense of peace and a sense of purpose, she stepped forward into the world, ready to face whatever lay ahead.  

As she stepped out of the chapel, she looked up at the sky, and saw the stars shining bright like diamonds in the darkness. It was as if the whole universe was conspiring to show her the way, and she felt a sense of wonder and awe wash over her.  

As she walked, she thought about all the things that had led her to this moment. The pain, the struggles, the doubts and fears. But she also thought about the moments of joy and happiness, the moments of beauty and grace that had sustained her through the darkest times.  

She walked for a long time, lost in her thoughts, until she came to a small park. She sat down on a bench, and looked up at the stars once again. And then she saw it. A shooting star, streaking across the sky like a silver arrow. And she knew, without a doubt, that it was a sign from the divine. A sign that she was on the right path, that everything was going to be all right  

RUNNER UP  

Julian of Norwich 

Eita Akaki, aged 13   

The storm raged on outside, the winds howling and  rain lashing against the windows. Sarah huddled in her bed, feeling lost and alone. She had been battling  illness for years now, and it seemed that every day brought with it new struggles and new pains.

As she lay there, she remembered the words of Julian of Norwich, one of her favourite spiritual writers. She recited to herself Julian's famous quote, "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well." But as she said the words, she felt a pang of doubt. How could all be well when she was suffering so much? How could she find peace during such turmoil? 

Then she remembered another quote from Julian, "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." 

Sarah repeated those words to herself, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. She realized that even though she may face storms and trials in her life, she would not be overcome by them. She would persevere, with the help of Divine Love. For as Julian wrote, "God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall." Sarah felt that love surrounding her, like a warm embrace. She knew that no matter what happened, she was loved by God.

With that thought in mind, Sarah closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep, knowing that she was not alone. For the love of God would always be with her, through every storm . And in the end, all would be well. 

HONOURABLE MENTION 

Julian of Norwich and Divine Love   

Alice Hiscock, aged 14  

A rabbit was hopping through a forest when he came across a snickering fox, the fox called out “Oh dear rabbit, won’t you come into my home – I'm ever so lonely." The rabbit sat and thought, he had always been told not to trust strangers, but this fox just wanted friends and seemed so lonely. So, the empathetic rabbit followed the sly fox into his den.  

They sat for hours and talked, eventually the rabbit got up and said: “This has been great, but I must get going now.” The fox just smiled. As the rabbit moved towards the entrance of the den, the fox lunged for him - teeth bared – luckily the rabbit was too quick for the fox and was soon racing through the forest, leaving the trickster with a mouth full of fur.  

When the rabbit could not run any further, he lay down by a tree’s roots and cried and cried. “Why is the world so mean? Why is everyone so cruel? Is love even real?” The rabbit shouted to the world, sobbing. Suddenly, the tree spoke: “Don’t cry, little rabbit – there is one that will always love you.” Amazed, the rabbit stopped crying and asked, “Who?”. The tree breathed deeply before it answered, “There is one that made this world we live in, He made the deep oceans and the lush forests. He made the cloudy skies and the tall mountains. He made me and He made you.”.  

Confused now, the rabbit asked: “But who is he? And how do you know he still loves us?”

“Oh, little rabbit.” the tree chuckled, “He is God. And God loved us before he made us; and his love has never diminished and never shall.” 

“If this God made us and the world, then why must suffer?” 

“When God made us, he did not promise a life without suffering. A life without suffering is no life at all; we need to suffer to realize what to be grateful for and how to find our inner strength. Instead, he gave us the remedy for suffering – love.”, the tree paused to let the rabbit understand what he had just said, “And there no one that loves us more than God.” 

“How much does God love us?”, the curious rabbit asked. 

“His love is deeper than the deepest ocean, greater than the greatest trench, and higher than the highest mountain. His love is infinite and true. His love is Divine. We are like a fragile hazelnut he holds dearly in his hands.”, the wise tree answered. 

“Wow, that is a lot of love. Thank you, tree. You have helped me understand the world, love and myself.”  

“You're welcome, little rabbit. Now go tell everyone you can what I’ve told you. And have fun and don’t worry as all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”. 

With those last words stuck in the rabbit’s head, he hopped off happy and at peace. 

HONOURABLE MENTION 

Divine Love – A Poem 

By Edie Curtis, aged 14   

Divine Love. 

All around we see fear 

We see hate, 

War, and yet 

We know not what we are doing Lord, 

We beg for your divine love, 

Undying and unconditional. 

I know what we have done, 

I know we have not been stewards of 

Our Earth, our Eden. 

I know some say they show no remorse 

They know not what they do, 

They believe that all shall be well 

But all is lost. 

We beg for your trust again, 

Undying faith in us again.  

I know not what to do Lord, 

I seek your wisdom, your help 

Your salvation. 

I pray although I feel weak, 

I pray for us, a brighter future. 

I seek your never-ending knowledge. 

Your divine love. Undying and whole  

Divine love.