Conversation between God and St. Francis
St. Francis is widely known for his deep respect and love for all
of God's creation. He famously referred to all creatures as his
"brothers" and "sisters," and stories tell of him preaching to birds
and taming a ferocious wolf. In 1979, Pope John Paul II declared him
the patron saint of ecology.
When I stumbled upon this fictional conversation between God and St.
Francis, I certainly found it humorous, but there's wisdom in
there.
GOD: Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is
going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions,
violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect
no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil,
withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the
long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of
songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I
see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It’s the tribes that settled there, Lord: the
Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers weeds and
went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But, it’s so boring. It’s not colorful. It doesn’t attract
butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms. It’s sensitive
to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass
growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and
keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and
poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really
fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they
cut it — sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in
bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No, sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will
grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back
on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and
saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren’t going to believe this, Lord … when the grass
stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water
it, so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was
a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves
in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the
autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep
moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It’s a natural
cycle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a
new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles
and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No! What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the
winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy
something they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in
place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough! I don’t want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine,
you’re in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us
tonight?
ST. CATHERINE: Dumb
and Dumber, Lord. It’s a story about …
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
Author: Anonymous