Brother Francis and Brother Mitt

The other day I passed a house with two icons in the yard. The contradiction between them was so glaring it pierced me.

One was a statue of Saint Francis, or as he preferred to be called, Brother Francis. The other was a Romney-Ryan campaign sign.

It is hard to imagine two men with more opposing values than Francis and Mitt. In the early 1200s Francis wandered the Italian countryside camping out of doors and begging for his food. Today we might call him a welfare case. In fact, he was homeless. And in Francis’s day being homeless meant being looked down on as a “social problem” just as much as it does today.

The teenage Francis had been a fiery young man who loved to sing ribald love songs and throw lavish parties for his friends using his merchant-father’s money. But one day in his early twenties, in the middle of the public square, Francis had ripped off his rich cloaks, standing naked before the town. It was a thunderous move. His clothes were the products of his father’s cloth trade, and in that one dramatic gesture, Francis was rejecting both his family and their well-to-do way of life.

From then on, Francis wandered homeless through the countryside, inviting people to leave their status symbols and physical securities. Where before he was upwardly mobile, now he gloried in having nothing. Where before he sought nobility, now he saw in poor people the face of the Christ who had called him away from riches. He redefined his family ties, calling everyone Brother and Sister. To him, all were equal—and equally loved by God. He saw no difference between a highborn lord and the humblest living being, such as a sparrow. He preached sermons on poverty, calling listeners to find the face of God in the lowliest, most-looked-down-on poor people.

What might Brother Francis say to Brother Mitt? The same thing he said to rich and powerful figures of his time, the same thing he says to people today: “Your wealth means nothing. It prevents you from seeing true values. To become rich in what really matters, leave behind your wealth, your pride. Embrace poverty. Become able to see God in poor people.”

It’s a message just as challenging today as it was in the time of Francis.

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3 Responses to Brother Francis and Brother Mitt

  1. Annette says:November 5, 2012 at 11:51 am

    Priscilla,

    I absolutely agree with your post, and I feel saddened with much of the contradiction I see in both campaigns as a person of faith. As the spending approaches $6 Billion dollars for the presidential campaign, I feel sickened by the culture that allows that to occur (6 BILLION DOLLARS!!!!) while there is so much suffering that exists among people around the planet. I know you know the complexities of any given religion, and I am hopeful most thinking people don’t lump all believers of a certain faith together. As always I enjoy your thoughtful, thought provoking posts!

  2. Sue Wang, @Connect2Self says:November 5, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    Thank you for bringing out the contrast -it resonates. It makes me wonder if people really know what they are doing, placing the RR sign next to Brother Francis. Do they really know what each symbol/person mean? Or is it something like religious=GOP platform? Like Annette above, I gasped at the $6 billion spent on the campaigns -that could have gone to help many in need. The irony is that NPR reports say voting preferences hasn’t changed much despite the campaigns.

    Anyway, love your writing and mindfulness.

  3. Linda Weber says:November 5, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    Great post, Priscilla. Thank you.