St. Francis Pledge

You probably know about St. Francis of Assisi, the deeply spiritual, slightly crazy mystic of the thirteenth century. I'm not trying to be disrepectful here, because most religious mystics march to a different drummer --God.

Francis lived a life of radical simplicity, giving away his wealth to live alongside the poor. He also loved Creation and honoured all living things. The legends of his relationships with birds and animals abound, and he is credited with creating the first Living Nativity. I like this painting by Bailey Jack. Pope John Paul II named Francis as the patron saint of the environment. Not bad for someone who lived 800 years ago.

I just learned that there is a St. Francis Pledge, which is a commitment one can make as a faithful  and practical expression of Creation Care. The five commitments are:

PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God's Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable.

LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change.

ASSESS how we -- as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations -- contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.

ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.

ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.

While this is obviously an initiative of the Roman Catholic church, if we substitute the word Christian for Catholic, or "small c" catholic, meaning universal, these are wonderful principles to which we can adhere as Protestants.

Do they work for you?