For Christmas you must read this Op-Ed about St. Francis and the clash of Muslim and Christian civilizations: The Peaceful Crusader - New York Times.
In Francis’ view, judgment was the exclusive province of the all-merciful God; it was none of a Christian’s concern. True Christians were to befriend all yet condemn no one. Give to others, and it shall be given to you, forgive and you shall be forgiven, was Francis’ constant preaching. “May the Lord give you peace” was the best greeting one could give to all one met. It compromised no one’s dignity and embraced every good; it was a blessing to be bestowed indiscriminately. Francis bestowed it on people named George and Jacques and on people named Osama and Saddam. Such an approach, in an age when the most visible signs of the Christian religion were the wars and atrocities of the red-crossed crusaders, was shockingly otherworldly and slyly effective.
(from editorial by Thomas Cahill in the NY Times, 12/25/2006)
I had no idea of St. Francis' history; I thought he was the lover of animals and of course founder of the Franciscans. I did not know that he proselytized the Caliph in his palace, and reached out to Muslims in amity. Read the article to find out about Francis' extraordinary journey to the Middle East.
I will be reading more about St. Francis after this. I always did want a statue of St. Francis for my garden, and of course he is the patron saint of the Bay upon which I live (and the city at the entrance of the Bay). San Francisco values include a strong civic concern for the poor and the downtrodden. Again, this interfaith aspect is new to me. What a great Christmas message.
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