Evangelical Life Today: Living in the Ecological Christ

Abstract

The term is one used frequently today in Franciscan circles, especially among third order groups trying to define their way of life. It basically refers to a Gospel way of life or, rather, a way of living the Gospel that makes a living presence in the world. Its development in the Middle Ages signified a literal understanding of the Gospels and a renewed emphasis on living the Gospel in the world, following the example of the poor and humble Christ. The path of Francis of Assisi was one of evangelical life, and he used the metaphor of footprint to describe the following of Christ. He encouraged his followers to see the footprints of through the light of the Spirit and make their way to the Most High, the source of all creation and the fountain of overflowing goodness. Although Francis emphasized the centrality of in his patb to God, he did not focus on the humanity of in his writings but on the humility of God. It is the humility of God, I believe, that undergirds evangelical life for Francis. The theologian, Bonaventure, highlighted the importance of divine humility in the life of Francis by describing Francis's life as a growth in the mystery of Christ. In the Incarnation, God bends low in love, Bonaventure indicated, and the more Francis was conformed to Christ, the more he carne to see God present in the created world. From the on the cross to the at the heart of creation, Francis contemplated the humility of God incarnate as one continuous thread binding together the whole creation in love. It is in view of Francis's cosmic mysticism, as Bonaventure describes it, that I use the term ecological Christ to speak of the mystery of God's humble love in creation. Ecology is the study of the rules governing the relationships in the household (oikos)