A
Reflection for Feast of St. Francis( Transferred to October 11, 2015)
All
Saints Church, Southern Shores, NC Thomas E Wilson Rector
Conversation
in the Assisi of My Soul
“Rats!
Francis, I don’t know what to do or say
about
what I want. In the scripture it says I am
to
leave everything behind. But what would it
look
like if I left everything I knew; like my
marriage
and job and house? I know that when
I
shuffle off this mortal coil, or to Buffalo it all
ends
any way. Rats! Who am I without a title or
structure
and things to do? I find what I think is
God
in moments of disciplined study and ritual
and
giving care. Rats! Who am I without wife
like
Pat with whom finding the sacred in space
between
us? Rats, Where do I find another home
in
which I retreat? I find moment closer to God
when
Yoda snuggles with me as I project ideas
that
he is loving me on his eyes. These are some
things
I cherish and many more. I know I really
am
thinking about she you call “Sister Death”
The
way I might call her sister is if she was able
to
cleanse me from all the garbage deep storage
bin
in my soul where I keep that soft shame of
my
past, indeed still present, pride, hypocrisy,
malice,
lust, and greed away from light where
the
rats gnaw. in the darkness. Do you not see
it
is these things I cherish that help keep away
the
four o’clock of the morning?”
Francis
nodded and said; “Interesting mention
rats
to show your disgust over persons, places,
things
over which you have no control. My time
on
earth we saw rats as invaders bringing disease,
and
eat our meager food, or chew holes in shoes
or
clothes. They compete for control of “stuff”.
Do
you remember when some children brought
their
pet rats for blessing? Listen with care ;I do
not
like them, but I do love them for they're part
of
God’s creation. In the very same way there are
parts
of me, my shadows which I do not like, but
I
acknowledge; I claim them, heed, embrace and
pay
attention to those very sides because they are
part
of what has made me who I am. The old mind-
set
told us we had only two choices; one to grasp
and
use for our own goals of benefit and the other
is
to ignore or destroy what we can not grasp. But
Jesus
says to go deeper down to where third options
give
us chance to open our hands to make choices
holy,
and wholly, to love all of God’s creation, as
God
for, with
and of all; and of all of and in us.
Existing
is so much simpler if we do not love. To
grasp,
consuming, ignoring or judging worth is
not
living - only filling storage bins of regret.
Open
your eyes, ears, hands, mind, heart, will,
imagination,
and empty your storage bins of all
kinds
and marvel at all that can be loved. Here
on
earth are Heavenly treasures for those making
living
choices to love all, even rats. Our holy world
is
filled with animals, plants, minerals, stars, planets,
water
and all that lives within, people, places, ideas,
ideals,
hopes and dreams are worth of caring love.”
No comments:
Post a Comment