The Prayer of St. Francis continues, “Where there is injury, [let me sow] pardon;”

There are all kinds of injuries that take place in a person’s life. An “injury” can be physical, mental or spiritual. Unfortunately, it seems we live in a world where getting even is the first reaction when an injury occurs. Make the other person suffer as much as the victim has been made to suffer. Sue! Go for the deep pockets and get all kinds of money. Don’t get even – get more than even!

In my previous article I shared with you a little bit about the man we know as St. Francis of Assisi. As a young man he became disillusioned with his family’s wealth and all the trappings that went along with it. His heart was changed by the living Christ, and he became an advocate of the poor, living in poverty himself, and answering the call to “fix” Christ’s broken church.

Francis was born into a very wealthy family. He never wanted for anything while growing up at home. He enjoyed the finer things in life. His mother doted on him. His father provided very well for the family. During his childhood, he lacked for nothing.

One of the teachings of Jesus is we are to do good to those who hate us (Luke 6:27). What? Be nice to people that hate us?? He must have been suffering from heatstroke that day.

Then he said we are to love our enemies (Luke 6:35). Love our enemies?? That sounds absolutely crazy. He must have been suffering from heatstroke.

I did the “seminary thing” backward, serving in full time ministry at one church for 12 years – 8 as an ordained pastor – with no formal Bible education; then I went to seminary. Colleagues insisted that I would have an advantage over my classmates who would have just graduated from Bible college. After a few classes, I understood. What the fresh Bible college grads knew was yet untested theory. What I knew came from personal study, from experience, and from making a lot of mistakes.

“The times, they are a changin,’” Bob Dylan warned sixty years ago. Newsflash, Bob, they change every year, twice a year in fact. Last month, we honored the mnemonic “spring forward,” and will do the opposite come November when we “fall back.” It’s even more complicated for Floridians because we are one of the 13 states that sit in two time zones.

If your desired candidate for president of this country wins in the 2024 election, how do you think you will feel?

Do you think you will feel elated? Satisfied? Pleased? Justified? Validated? Secure?

Last week, I celebrated my 40th birthday. One look at me and you might think I am someone who repeatedly celebrates 39th birthdays. No, I was celebrating the day 40 years ago when I was, in Jesus’ words, born again.

One of his own betrayed him.

Thursday evening, Jesus had finished the Passover meal with his disciples and had gone to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. While praying, Judas (the treasurer of the group) arrived with soldiers, greeted Jesus with the traditional kiss from a disciple to his rabbi, and Jesus was arrested.

I read something recently regarding sheep. It said that if you were leading a herd of sheep, then stopped and held a long pole horizontally in front of the lead sheep, the lead sheep will jump over it. The next sheep in line would do the same, and the next one. Then, at some point, you could remove the pole, and the sheep would continue to jump over a pole that is no longer there.