Eternal God, supreme in tenderness

Today’s hymn from Sing Praise is ‘Eternal God, supreme in tenderness’ by Alan Gaunt.  The words are said to be ‘after Julian of Norwich’ and the last line of each verse repeats perhaps her most famous saying, ‘all things shall be well’ (or in the last verse, ‘all things made well’).

Otherwise, the structure of the hymn is Trinitarian, with one verse each addressed to the Creator, Son, Spirit and Trinity.  The mercy of the Father, the comfort of the Son, the joy of the Spirit and the eternity of the Trinity, are what will make all things well. Interestingly, it is the Son who is also addressed as ‘a mother comforting’.  Jesus did use some mothering imagery such as when he said he wanted to gather the people of Jerusalem ‘under his wing’ (as a mother bird).