Doing Justice, Giving Thanks for Creation
St. Francis was more than someone who loved animals. His profound love for God’s creation, to be sure, was a rich part of his ministry that Trinity and many other churches celebrate with services of pet and animal blessings – which we’ll do this Sunday at the 9 a.m. Abundant Table service. Yet Francis was committed to so much more than that: a millennia ago, Francis spoke out against the consumerism and militarism that harmed the poorer people of God. He had been scion of a wealthy family and a soldier, so he knew what he was talking about. Yet God had whispered a different message in his ear.
This Sunday we connect not only to Francis’s creation-care message but to his social justice ministry as well. We gladly join in The Episcopal Church’s BE campaign, a monthlong season of connecting our faith and our worship to God’s particular love for the poor, the marginalized and the oppressed. This will shape our Sunday liturgies: we’ll use alternate readings that begin this Sunday with Micah 6:8: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God?
Through the BE Campaign, Episcopalians are invited to BE intentional:
- Stand up, speak out and act in places of inequity, ensuring the vulnerable are treated fairly.
- Practice intentional acts of kindness and compassion daily.
- Cultivate the habit of humility through respect, listening, and empathy.
From the days of the prophet Micah to Saint Francis to the needs of today, we as the people of God must do the work of justice so that those in need can experience liberation. That can start joyfully, with a celebration of God’s good creation but also with an eye towards where we can serve to bring God’s dream to fruition.