Devin Strong, Spirit of Peace Lutheran Church

Francis of Assisi was your typical rich, spoiled brat.

Born circa 1181 in the Italian town of Assisi, Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth dealer. The kid had a silver spoon in his mouth! He spent his days looking down on others and his nights partying with his friends. Francis had too much, and it still wasn’t enough. Bored with his prodigal lifestyle, Francis got the idea to join the military which, at the time, was at war with neighboring Perugia. Unsurprisingly, the soft kid was quickly wounded in battle and captured by the enemy. He spent about a year as a prisoner of war.

Not so typically, Francis was turned inside out by his hard times. After the war, he turned his back on his previously flagrant lifestyle.

Not only did Francis become a Christian and embrace austere living habits, this changed man devoted his days to caring for lepers, to people who were poor and hurting, and especially to animals. More than 800 years later, Francis of Assisi is known as the Patron Saint of the environment, ecology, and animals. Though we don’t know exactly when his birthday was, the church sets aside the first Sunday of October to celebrate his life and work.

What is exceptional about Francis is not his wealthy upbringing. Perhaps a lot of us grew up with enough material comforts to blind us to the needs of the larger world. What’s exceptional is the transformation that God worked in him. He reminds us that maybe even we can change.

Here are a few stories that are told about the man: Before his conversion, Francis hated the sight of people with leprosy and felt sick near them. One day, shortly after his conversion, a leper crossed his path while Francis was riding his horse.

Instead of turning away, Francis got off his horse, walked up to the man, and hugged and kissed him.

In his early days as a disciple, Francis started using his father’s expensive cloth to repair a broken church called San Damiano.

His angry father dragged him before the local bishop to get the family money back. Francis not only returned the money; he took off all his clothes on the spot, handed them to his father, and declared that God was now his only true father.

It is also frequently reported that on Christmas Eve 1223, St. Francis arranged the first (technically, the second!) living nativity scene in Greccio, Italy. It was critically important to him that people not just hear about the birth of Jesus but experience it for themselves. Beyond these heartwarming stories, many miracles are attributed to Francis, and though I suspect that some of the tales have been embellished down through the centuries, what I celebrate here is the incredible movement that is possible in one human life when it is in God’s hands.

We all get so busy with our habits and responsibilities that it’s easy to ignore the problems that are happening to others. I am looking at myself here! And yet, if the Lord of Creation can reach into a rich, selfish heart and transform it into a heart that cares for very sick people as well as creepy, crawly things in the forest, then maybe you and I can grow, too. Resurrection happens one life at a time.