We live in a world of hope and despair, creativity and destruction. Freshness abounds and is always available to nourish us, and yet we have succumbed to brittle and lifeless visions of spirituality, society, and politics. We have pursued short-term profits and pleasures and put our planet’s future in peril. Intended to be a place for spiritual transformation, a sanctuary for the marginalized and forgotten, and an inspiration for the quests of spiritual seekers, the institutional church is weary, worn out, and dispirited, out of step with a world of pluralism, pandemic, and political instability. We feel hopeless in confronting the violence that invades our schools and shopping centers, the incivility on social media, and the apathetic attitudes toward the devasting consequences of climate change. Still, the message of Franciscan spirituality can awaken a vision of hope amid the challenges we face. A new day dawns. Spiritual adventures await us. Seeds sprout from the dark earth. Dolphins leap with joy. Fresh approaches to life’s challenges emerge. We can begin again, joyfully celebrating Brother Sun and Sister Moon, and planting seeds of grace on Sister Mother Earth.
—from the book Simplicity, Spirituality, Service:The Timeless Wisdom of Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure
by Bruce G. Epperly
