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Viewpoint from Revd Canon Nick Garrard 24/02/2023
 Revd Canon Nick Garrard
Nick is Rector of the Rockland Benefice in the Bramerton Group (Bramerton, Rockland St. Mary with Hellington, Surlingham, Claxton, Carleton St. Peter and Kirby Bedon with Whitlingham) and Bishop’s Officer for Christian Spirituality through the Creative Arts
In 1413, a woman entered a church in Great Yarmouth, prayed in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary, then set off towards the quay. Her name was Margery Kempe. She was leaving England for a long and dangerous pilgrimage to Jerusalem that would take nearly three years. Margery was the wife of a prosperous King’s Lynn merchant and mother of fourteen children
 Following the birth of her first child, she had experienced intense mental distress and hallucinations. After recovering, she felt called to lead a holy life in the footsteps of Christ and his saints. She shared her faith with everyone who would listen and challenged powerful people over their way of life. This was a dangerous occupation for a medieval woman, and she was threatened with burning at the stake more than once. She frequently spent long periods weeping loudly
Perhaps it’s not surprising that on one of her pilgrimages her companions jumped ship, leaving her to sail away alone. She may have been a difficult person to live with, but it’s hard to read her ‘Book of Margery Kempe’ without cheering her on. She possessed the rare courage of someone who stands alone against an angry crowd, trusting only in God for safety
Her book is remarkable for two reasons. It was the first autobiography in English, and secondly, it shines light on an ordinary medieval woman’s life, her hopes, fears and struggles. Nothing like it has been found anywhere else, so we can be proud of this slightly wild, determined, caring, devout daughter of Norfolk. This year sees her 650th birthday, celebrated by public events in King’s Lynn, her home town, where she prayed in front of statues in the Minster. Soon, a statue in her honour will be unveiled there. There’s another 650th anniversary connected with Margery too
Before she reached Great Yarmouth, Margery visited a holy woman living in a cell at St Julian’s church in Norwich. She confirmed that Margery was living in accordance with God’s will, encouraging her to persevere through all difficulties with God’s help. That holy woman is now known as Julian of Norwich. 650 years ago Julian saw a vision of Christ during a near-death experience that filled her with light and hope. We can read her ‘Revelations of the Divine Love’ too. You may already know her most famous message ‘All shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well’. But that’s a story for another day
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