making room for God

Today we remember St. Francis of Assisi. Francis saw his life as one of penance. We often think of penance as some kind of action or punishment we inflict on ourselves as an outward expression of our repentance for wrongdoing. It’s not very fashionable today. In “The Art of Letting Go” Franciscan priest and writer Richard Rohr suggests Francis understood penance as “making room for God”. That is a very different thing. Making room for God is the letting go of all that distracts us from seeing God in our everyday lives. And as Francis shows, the more we practice making room the more we see God. In the end Francis saw God at work in all people, even thieves, lepers and Muslims; all creatures, even a ferocious wolf; and all creation, including the birds who he commanded to “beware of the sin of ingratitude and be always eager to praise God”.

The Gospel reading from Luke (17:11-19) of the ten lepers healed, invites us to make room for God to teach us through those outside our faith, or through those we might describe as enemies. An accursed Samaritan is the one who turns back, breaks the law, and gives praise to God. It is the accursed Samaritan who shows how to love our neighbour. Can we make that much room for God?

As we reflect on the invitation to make room for God, how might that shape our relationship with those we struggle with; with our pets and those animals who provide our food; and with God’s creation where because of our actions, and inaction, the web of life is unravelling and we see the pain and suffering in God’s creation.