Religion and Ethics: Reflection on St. Francis of Assisi (Essay Sample)

Reflec!on response: the way of the
cross
As examined in the lecture slides and in the readings, Chris!anity has an extraordinary claim
at the center of its cosmology: that the infinite, unimaginable, transcendent, uncontainable
source of all life, that which we call "God," became a human being—and not just any human
being, but a man who was tortured, humiliated, and put to death in an excrucia!ng way by
the Roman Empire. Because of this, Chris!ans proclaim, human nature, even in its weakness
and capacity for suffering, has been firmly and permanently united with the divine nature
through Jesus, God-made-human.
Many Chris!ans throughout history have seen in this proclama!on a call to a radical way of
life. Just as God humbled Godself to become a crucified human being—these Chris!ans have
said—so we should voluntarily give up all power, wealth, and status and embrace the life of
those who are suffering the most. One of the most stunning examples of this is St. Francis of
Assisi, a twel#h century saint who is some!mes referred to as a "second Christ" due to how
closely he pa$erned his own life off of the total self-giving seen in the crucified Christ. Born
into a wealthy and powerful family, he chose to give all of this up to wander the Italian
countryside in rags, to care for lepers, to beg for his daily necessi!es, and to share the word
of God's love.
Please watch the first 30 minutes of the documentary about St. Francis below (it will stop
automa!cally at that point) in order to respond to the reflec!on prompt.