Why Him?
Why him
why him
why him?
Because it seems God chose
one so foolish and so poor
To show that only
openness to God
is enough.
This poem was inspired by one of the stories about St. Francis of Assisi, a man open to nature, open to other men and women (especially the disadvantaged and diseased), open to God.
The poem “Canticle of the Sun” was written by St. Francis of Assisi – and maybe this is one of the reasons I am so inspired by him – he was a poet!
This beautiful piece alone has inspired me a number of times…
“…Be praised, my Lord, through all your creatures,
especially through my lord Brother Sun,
who brings the day; and you give light through him.
And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!
Of you, Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon
and the stars, in heaven you formed them
clear and precious and beautiful…”
Francis was open to nature – in a big way.
I grew up in south London, and even there I connected with brief glimpses of nature’s beauty – a kestrel hovering over a reservoir, or a stunning sunset in the skies over the less inspiring suburban sights of the London Borough of Wandsworth…
When I moved into the countryside for my first full-time job, it felt like both finding a new home, but also coming home, to a kind of spiritual feeling at home, connected, more strongly now, with nature.
Walking the Hills
The wild birds inhabit these hills
and I, a walker,
glancing down the valley
dazzled by gleaming lights
flung across the fields like necklaces
I feel connected with the wind
the grass under my feet
God’s sky above my head.
The spirituality of St. Francis, and his “brothers”, was an outdoor spirituality, deeply connected with the natural world. It included praying in the woods – as above – as well as the better-known preaching to birds and talking to wolves…And it was also a felt and lived spirituality, not a dry, theoretical, abstract belief system.
In the Wood
To one praying in the wood
The word of God came
Louder than the human voice
The other saw deeper into Christ
Through his tears
Than forests of theologians.
But the poem with which I began this post – “Why him?” – draws attention to another quality: his complete openness. What does this mean?
Stories about St. Francis portray him as open to God, open to changing his life, open to others, including those who were shunned by others.
There is a story about how Francis could not bear the sight of those suffering from leprosy. But through his openness, “that which was bitter became sweet”. His whole attitude of mind and heart changed.
Bitter Sweet
When the sweet
becomes bitter,
The bitter,
sweet,
Then you are
on the way,
Transformed
from darkness to light.
Openness is also about the practice of contemplation, and being open to change through grace.
Like a Droplet
Your nature is absorbed
like a droplet of water
into the mighty ocean
of divinity.
Eternity
Raised to the infinite grace
of life and love
I plunged into eternity
conscious of nothing created
Absorbed in the infinity
of godliness
that ocean of light
where nothing is seen
but God in all things.
Openness is also about being open to others – through listening, through imaginative awareness and through compassion.
The Welcome
We must welcome
the guest
Who enters our lives
however briefly
Seeking
what we do not know
And minister
in unknown ways,
Meet many
an angel.
If you have read through to the end of this post, I hope you have learned something about St. Francis of Assisi, and what he means to me. I hope I might have sparked an interest in you to find out more, and would be happy to recommend some of the books that have inspired me if you are interested.
Do leave a comment if you would like to know more.
Best wishes,
Michael
(aka Flowering Poverello)
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