“Preach the gospel; use words if necessary” Francis of Assisi apparently said something like this. But what does that mean? Are we off the hook as Christians to GO and make disciples of all the nations? Can we just live quietly by ourselves and expect people to come to us?
I don’t think so. Francis did a lot of GO.
In the 1200’s, a lay person could not preach without permission of the bishop. Francis instructed his friars to go into the countryside and spread the message of living a life of apostolic poverty while following Christ’s teachings. They were to “preach” as much as they could until they got the official permission from the Pope. Failure to get permission ran the risk of punishment for being a heretic.
In 1219, Francis literally risked his life to go on the Fifth Crusade so that he could tell the Sultan of Egypt, the leader of the Saracen (Muslim forces), about Jesus. Severely wounded, he was allowed an audience with the Sultan. The Sultan was not converted, but deeply respected Francis and his faith.
I’m taking a 10-week Church History class as part of continuing education for my ministry. The story of Francis in history is one of many useful things I am learning. How things were in the past is helping me understand some of the church’s challenges now. Do you have some “aha” moments where you learned a lot more about a historical figure?
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