Saint Francis of Assisi
by G. K. Chesterton
I recently found myself in a bookshop in London when my eye was caught by a new version of a classic that I had long intended to read but for whatever reason never got around to it. But it felt that the time was right for G. K. Chesterton's Saint Francis of Assisi and so I made my way to the checkout with a copy in tow.
At a length of 129 pages, one should not expect a detailed biography of Saint Francis. It might be better to think of it as not so much a portrait of the saint but rather a sketch. Instead of overwhelming the reader with potentially tedious facts, Chesterton looks at his subject as an ordinary man and thus revealing just how extraordinary he was. Granted the language verges on the flowery, but it is nonetheless a joy to read.
What impressed me the most was just how timely the story of Saint Francis is. The setting is the beginning of the thirteenth century. The Roman Empire has collapsed. Threats of attacks by barbarians loom large. And everyone is turning inward and trying to protect all that they have. Sound familiar? To me, I saw parallels to the war on terror as well as to the so-called credit crunch.
Saint Francis personified gratitude. Here was a man who failed at being a soldier, was humiliated by his father and was ridiculed by those around him. Yet instead of falling into the trap of doom and gloom, he saw that there were those who were worse off than he and then he tried to help them. And he did so by getting people to lighten up and free themselves from their self-imposed shackles.
In a time when so many of us are living beyond our means or are doing all that we can to maintain our lives of stuff, it strikes me that Saint Francis's message of living a life of less and not more is one that we'd be wise to follow. As he so eloquently put it, Blessed is he that expects nothing, for he shall enjoy everything.
Chesterton may have written his account of Saint Francis of Assisi nearly 90 years ago, but the message couldn't be more relevant to the headlines of today!
Saint Francis of Assisi is available at Amazon.
Alan's Rating:
| Life-changing |
| Can't live without |
| Put the kettle on and settle down |
| Worth a quick flick |
| Leave it on the shelf |
Alan Bridges
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