What St. Francis Never Said

 

What St. Francis Never Said

You are undoubtedly familiar with the "spiritual armor" Paul describes in Ephesians 6:10–18: the "belt of truth," the "breastplate of righteousness," "shoes for your feet" composed of the "gospel of peace," the "shield of faith," the "helmet of salvation," and the "sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Notice that this "armor" covers the front of warriors as they go into battle. If they flee from the conflict, there is no protection for the back.

You and I will experience the power of God to the degree that we fulfill the purpose of God (cf. Acts 1:8). When Jesus' seventy-two disciples went on an evangelistic mission, they "returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!'" (Luke 10:17). He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven" (v. 18).

Here we discover a clear reason why more Christians are not more empowered to stand boldly for Christ in an anti-Christian culture. If we step into the river, our faith positions us to experience God's miraculous provision (Joshua 3:14–17). If we march around Jericho, God will bring down its walls (Joshua 6). If we stand boldly for our Lord, we will be filled with his Spirit (Acts 4:8).

Ours is a day of declining commitment to evangelism, fueled in part by a growing belief that sharing the gospel is wrong in a culture that elevates tolerance above all other values. But the "passive congeniality" that is unwilling to speak of Jesus in everyday conversation is not enough.

We often hear the advice, "Preach the gospel at all times—when necessary, use words" attributed to St. Francis of Assisi. In fact, he never spoke these words and usually did the opposite. His first biographer, writing just three years after his death, reported that Francis "sometimes preached in up to five villages a day, often outdoors. 

In the country, Francis often spoke from a bale of straw or a granary doorway. In town, he would climb on a box or up steps in a public building. He preached to . . . any who gathered to hear the strange but fiery little preacher from Assisi."