The Channel, Volume 2, Number 3, May 37, 1973 Page: 4 of 16
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helped the sick (the lepers), cared for the poor (his father's work-
ers), and he marveled at the beauty of nature that God had created.
As a lad, St. Francis had everything that he could possibly
want, materially speaking. His parents were very well off. He wasn't
satisfied though; he wanted more. When he went off to war, he was
given a grand celebration by the church and the people of Assisi.
When he returned from war, God opened his eyes to the singing of a
bird, to the beauty in the life of every human being, and to the joy
of being one of God's creatures. I recall Claire's remark to him in
a field of flowers, "People say you're insane, you know that? Before,
when you went off to war, they said you were brave and intelligent--
now, because you sing like a bird, chase butterflies, and look at
flowers, they say you are crazy. I think you were before, not now."
Young St. Francis was certainly a non-conformist. After his
own personal declaration of independence in the town square, he gave
his life to his Heavenly Father and forsook his secure lifestyle to
become a humble beggar.
He had a dream which was fulfilled--the restoring of an old
mission. He built the church slowly, gaining support along the way.
It was like the song "The Impossible Dream."
The first Sunday service was a very memorable experience; the
flowers, food, animals--especially the lamb--and the rejoicing of
song was inspirational. It was a real celebration. Back in Assisi
the mother church was finding it harder and harder to worship the
established way.
But his dream was destroyed because it was a threat to the
established order of the way religion was supposed to be conducted
in Assisi. What follows is like what we read in Job 19:1-26.
St. Francis' faith in God never failed him. It remained true,
even when he was allowed to have audience with the Pope. His life
was a dedication to God--body, mind, and spirit. For everything in
life that was sadness, he found joy; if things were ugly, he found
beauty; and when his life was filled with despair, toil, and strife,
he would look up unto God, and his faith brought him peace and con-
tentment. St. Francis often asked our Heavenly Father, "Lord, make
me an instrument of Thy peace." Although St. Francis' words probably
fell on some deaf ears, during his life, people who go to see this
film will not soon forget what he had to say.
Next time someone dares to call me limp-wristed, I'll feel
proud. If St. Francis is to indeed be considered as limp-wristed,
then we should all be so fortunate and blessed as to be limp-wristed.
--Steve Childers
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Metropolitan Community Church of Dallas. The Channel, Volume 2, Number 3, May 37, 1973, periodical, May 27, 1973; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc304834/m1/4/: accessed June 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.