All God’s Creatures

There’s a story told of a young knight named Francesco who was riding his fine horse out of town when he saw a leper along the side of the road. The sight of such extreme poverty and suffering was repulsive to him, so he intended to gallop on by. But when he passed the leper, he instantly thought he recognized the face of Christ in the face of the leper along the road.

Francesco–now known to us as St. Francis of Assisi–immediately halted his horse, dismounted, and kissed the leper. The experience of encountering Christ in the face of poverty was truly life changing. Later, Francis said, “What had previously nauseated me became a source of spiritual and physical consolation.”

Francis gave up his father’s wealth in order to live and serve among the poor. He is best known today for identifying with the poor and also for his concern for animals and the environment. His life became driven by a desire to love all of God’s creatures the way that God does.

This Sunday in our online worship we will look more closely at this relationship between our care for the environment and our care for the poor. We want to love as God loves!

Blessings,
Pastor Paul Cook