stfranman Spirituality/Religion

Words to Live By

Here’s a verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes that a friend of mine shared with me tonight. It’s a verse she has found to be a key part of her personal spiritual practice.

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NIV

I think that this translation or interpretation makes more clear what the writer of Ecclesiastes was trying to say:

Enjoy prosperity while you can, but when hard times strike, realize that both come from God. Remember that nothing is certain in this life.

Ecclesiastes 7:14 NLT

These are indeed words to live by. It is so true that none of us knows what tomorrow may bring. We all have our share of the “good stuff” and it’s just as certain that the “bad stuff” comes around with regularity.

And time often has a way of helping us see the the “good times” may not have been as good as it seemed, and the “bad” not as bad, perhaps.

But while you’re in it, whether it seems good or bad at the time, remember that the wheel will turn; other experiences will come around. And that God, or the Universe or the Divine One brings them all to you.

Brother Ben

© 2019 The Fellowship of St Francis

stfranman FSF News/Events, Spirituality/Religion

What Our Movement is About

I am a man who strives to be compassionate and believes that the life and teachings of Jesus still show us how to live and how to treat others in the 21st Century.

I believe that the tide of ugliness coming from elected officials and so-called leaders of the evangelical churches is a tragedy and must be countered with a renewed emphasis on modeling the compassion, teaching and life of Jesus.

I also believe that we have failed miserably in our stewardship of the Earth, our common home, and that this is also a grave failure of our corporate will and must be urgently addressed.

These two horrible trends–the abrogation of the clear teachings of Jesus to follow in his footsteps and our failings to care for the Earth and all her inhabitants–must be resisted and must be countered with clear teachings and committed actions.

That is the mission, the driving force, behind our movement.

Brother Ben

© 2019 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.

stfranman Uncategorized

The Urgent Tasks We Face

We are right on the cusp of Spring as I write this. At a time when we often think about new life, new beginnings and new possibilities, a lot of folks are feeling as though we’re stuck in some kind of long-term moral and ethical winter. A really cold, dark–and very long–winter.

People of faith, and people who simply believe that selflessness and compassion should inform our attitudes and actions are finding that their voices are being drowned out by the droning of baleful voices calling for selfishness, suspicion and cruelty.

And these voices seem to be growing louder with each passing day.

It’s time to take a close look at what’s happening in our corporate life here in America and face a very dark and difficult time with courage and compassion.

Some of the urgent issues I want to focus on in this blog:

  • The problems posed by extreme, authoritarian religious practices
  • Creating a spiritual home for people exiting extremism
  • The problems we face saving our planet from environmental destruction
  • Honoring all life on Earth, not only our own species

Those four issues mentioned above are so important right now. And they’re interconnected. I’m hoping that our Fellowship–the FSF–will be effective in shining a light on these issues, stimulating discussion about solutions and creating a community for all like-minded friends who care.

So in the next few weeks and months, I’d like to take a closer look at these issues to see first, why they’re so important and then, how we can take action to address them.

Brother Ben

© 2019 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.

stfranman Compassionate Living, Spirituality/Religion

The Journey Begins

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton

The cusp of Spring, 2019

Thank you for joining me!

This journey is about people uniting around two common purposes. The first  being to recover the practice of living compassionately, as Jesus did and as he plainly instructed his followers to.

The second purpose is to care for the Earth, the common home of all humanity, and to care for all the Earth’s creatures as well. Our good will and our commitment to care for all doesn’t stop with our own species.

Some might characterize this merry band of do-gooders as a bunch bleeding hearts, tree-huggers and animal extremists.

And we’d say: “Gee, thanks for the compliment!”

I simply say: “thank you for stopping by to see what the FSF is all about!”

Brother Ben

© 2019 The Fellowship of St Francis, Inc.