Those of you who are my age or older will, I’m sure remember the Franco Zeffirelli movie “Brother Sun, Sister Moon” from 1972, an admittedly romanticised version of the story of St. Francis, with music by the current pop star, Donovan. As a young adult, I was quite captivated by it though I might find it a bit simplistic now. Our faith evolves over time and so does our understanding of those who have gone before us who are now part of the communion of Saints. Friday October 4th was the feast of St. Francis, the Patron Saint of Ecology and I want to speak about him today with reference to today’s readings. 

We have all heard of long-suffering Job and his many trials, a man who is shown to be a person of moral and spiritual integrity, whose resilience in suffering showed him to be a man of deep faith in God. St. Francis of Assisi’s life also demonstrated the character traits of patience and humility that we see in Job.  Job, like Francis was born into a wealthy family but later rejected material wealth to identify with the poor. The concept of voluntary poverty as represented by Francis is akin to the notion of voluntary suffering associated with Job.  Both ways of life demonstrate the rejection of worldly goods in favour of gaining deeper spiritual understanding. Francis’s example, like that found in Job, encourages us to seek spiritual abundance through simplicity and strength during hard times.

Both remind us that whatever happens, we are called to remain faithful and to trust in God, while treating others with kindness and mercy, qualities that we sing about here quite regularly: “what does the Lord require of you?  To do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God”. There are some who are called to emulate St. Francis is a radical way by taking vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to the Franciscan rule, including two of the Anglican priests in our diocese. We are not all called to this radical commitment, but we are all called through our baptism to live lives of justice and kindness and to walk humbly with our God. 

Psalm 26 is a prayer of personal integrity before God. King David, the author of the psalm, as we know, sinned greatly but was able to accept God’s forgiveness and change his life with the grace of God, and denying himself in order to seek a deeper relationship with God. Again, we see the same principles in St. Francis in his life which is marked by simplicity, humility, and deep faith.  

In the Gospel of Mark we see these same qualities embodied in Jesus. Once again, the pharisees are trying to pin him down by asking him about divorce, and Jesus reminds them that God’s plan for creation was for everything to be in harmony. Like Francis, he embraces a simple lifestyle and total commitment to the will of God. This was less about embracing poverty and more about embracing the weak, the hurting and all those in need. He makes his point by reminding all present that we are to be like little children, and live in a simple, trusting and open manner. 

Today, Francis calls us to live lives characterized by justice, kindness, and concern for the whole of God’s creation, including marginalized communities. By looking at our own lives and considering the example of Francis, we can avoid being caught up in a world view that is characterized by frantic activity, addiction, acquisition of power and possessions, and selfishness., instead embracing the way of truth, shedding light upon serious issues while always showing kindness.  Francis’s legacy serves as a reminder that a life lived according to God’s will requires an understanding that goes beyond praying alone but also extends into action. 

For Francis, all animals, and indeed all of creation were his sisters and brothers. In his Canticle to the Sun, he praises brother sun and sister moon, and even sister death, as part of the whole of God’s creation. In our current time when the world is grappling with environmental crises, we can take some inspiration from Francis’s example of living peacefully and simply, protecting our environment by living eco-friendly lives. What does simplicity and sustainability mean to us today? How can we extend the love of Christ to our neighbors both near and far? Something that we are all slowly waking up to is that while government regulations and policies are important, it is the individual choices and actions of every one of us that really count:  Our use of water and power, our consumption of materials goods, our use of fossil fuels, the list goes on. The environmental issues that face us are daunting and it is easy to be overwhelmed. In addition to “doing our bit!” we are responsible for keeping ourselves informed about environmental issues, we are called as Christians to pay attention! 

Let us therefore embrace simplicity, practice sustainability and cultivate a deep connection with God who is both our Creator and Sustainer, and renew our commitment to be protectors of all that God has created. Perhaps most important of all, we are to practice kindness towards ourselves, our brothers and sisters, the animals, and all of creation. The practice of kindness is greatly undervalued and is a character trait that is readily accessible to every one of us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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