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Please take a moment to read our latest addition, a reflective piece from Br. Christopher about channeling grace in our lives and striving to reach out to others.
“During a small group gathering, a question was asked when did we see grace in our lives. I replied that I see grace in my life every day, but I must admit I have missed God’s grace in my life by sometimes excluding people.
St. Francis is helpful here. Simply, Francis was a heartfelt ally to everything and everyone around him. He began with this assumption, from man to beast, from the trees to the stones, from the sun to the moon to the changing seasons; each is kindred spirit. As kindred spirits, he believed that mankind would naturally be drawn to honor acts out of love and respect, rather than anger, exclusion and supremacy.
What I am learning is this: Perhaps the very people I excluded are the ones that invite me to savor the moment and live in the present. They will allow me to see the Grace of God. And the expansive reach of God’s acceptance. To every single one of us. Whether I like it or not, it seems that the kingdom of God will be radically and scandalously inclusive. Think of that. God loves broken people and people who have been marginalized and downtrodden and who don’t fit into boxes. God loves infidels, idiots, the shunned and the heathen. Now that, that is one radical hospitality. That is truly a Church of the Exceptional.
This is good news: Grace cannot be confined or contained or constrained. We don’t dole it out to the deserving. We spill it…to anyone and everyone.
I will choose to live wholeheartedly from the Gospel of Grace for all, which may mean leaning into untidiness and discomfort, and a willingness to be honest about what makes it uncomfortable for me.
So. How then shall we live?
This is important. Not, how then shall we react? That’s different altogether. Sputtering and muttering and harrumphing never wears well. . . . In persistence we choose steady, daily acts of gentleness and kindness and inclusion and healing. One foot in front of another. It’s not just about belief. Heroes live the sacrament of the present. Heroes are ordinary souls who carry the weight of ordinary life. And heroism is born in every act of kindness and compassion and inclusion, no matter how small. Because in a world cynical and afraid, it takes courage to be kind and generous of spirit, and to fight for mercy and justice.”