Friends, I wanted to share this “Fourfold Franciscan Blessing” with you. In the context of the ELCA Malaria Campaign, I find this blessing to be inspiring and challenging. May God bless all of us with these “gifts,” so that we are motivated to work with our companions to bring just and comprehensive health care to communities in Africa, as well as preventative and educational measures to overcome malaria!
“May God bless you with a restless discomfort about easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships, so that you may seek truth boldly and love deep within your heart.
May God bless you with holy anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may tirelessly work for justice, freedom, and peace among all people.
May God bless you with the gift of tears to shed with those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, or the loss of all that they cherish, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and transform their pain into joy.
May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you really CAN make a difference in this world, so that you are able, with God’s grace, to do what others claim cannot be done.”
Amen!
