...it doesn't get much more concise than this... I
hope many of you will comment on this very powerful and
loving message... Lee
It’s Time for a Franciscan Renaissance
A Franciscan Renaissance would be ecological,
nonviolent, economic, and inclusive. —Brian McLaren and
Patrick Carolan
CAC teacher Brian McLaren joins with Catholic activist
Patrick Carolan to call for a renewal of the Franciscan
way in Christianity:
We have a proposal that addresses both the crises in
the world at large and the crises in the Christian
church: the possibility of a Franciscan Renaissance….
First, at this time of ecological crisis, the
Franciscan legacy is powerfully ecological…. We need a
spiritual vision that integrates love for God and love
for our neighbor with love for the earth….
The ecological vision of Francis was about … the
interconnectedness of all creation, so that we see
every creature as sister or brother.…
Second, in this time of violence, this time of school
shootings and war in Europe, this time when many
politicians seem to believe that the more guns we have
the safer we’ll be, or the more bombs we have the safer
we’ll be, we need St. Francis’ message and example of
nonviolence as never before….
Over the centuries, many forms of Christianity have
become religions of fear. But Christianity wasn’t
always like that. It began as a nonviolent peace
movement, a community known for love, a community
gathered around a table of fellowship and
reconciliation, a people armed with the basin and towel
of service, not the bomb and gun of violence. A
Franciscan Renaissance would invite us to become, in
the language of St. Clare, not violent warriors, but
nonviolent mirrors of Christ for others to see and
follow.
Third … the Franciscan vision is deeply economic.
Today, a larger and larger percentage of wealth is
being concentrated in the hands of fewer and fewer
individuals and families…. St. Francis arose in the
early stages of modern capitalism, and he saw its
potential dangers. He exemplified an alternative value
system where the poor, the leper, and the outcast
matter more than money, luxury, and power. Our current
economic model places no intrinsic value on creation,
except as a source for raw materials that we consume….
A Franciscan Renaissance would help us “redeem”—which
means to re-assess and revalue—everything, so we
rediscover the priceless beauty of the earth and its
creatures, including our neighbors and ourselves.
Fourth, we live in a time of exclusion, division,
classism, racism, and religious prejudice. We need the
example of St. Francis and St. Clare, who clearly
modeled deep inclusiveness and solidarity…. In this
spirit of solidarity, I see that my life and your life
are interconnected. I refuse to settle for my own
happiness, because my life is in solidarity with yours
as my neighbor.
The relationship between Francis and Clare modeled
this: we’re all equal—male and female, rich and poor,
healthy and sick, well-clothed and clothed in rags,
Pope and Bishop and lay person. Francis even teaches us
to refuse to discriminate between Christian and Muslim,
Jew and Atheist, for we all are beloved by God.
|
|