Seth’s World View

I was never a big fan of Rich Mullins’ music, though I appreciated it. Several years ago, I became a fan of the man. He lived simply, and sought to love, and he did love. He and his friend, Beaker, formed their own little group called The Kid Brothers of St. Frank to try to live in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi. Their initial introduction to Francis was from a 70s movie called Brother Sun, Sister Moon. It’s a movie I own, and just heard a song from it performed live. Though right now, I’m thinking about how Rich was single, he was spurned at the altar, it broke his heart. So, he moved to an Indian reservation to live missions, and discipled guys along the way. That’s an appealing road, except that I don’t know how simply I truly would want to live. I lived simply in New Zealand, but I still have things and enjoy them, especially the electronics I carry around that connect me to the universe. More significantly, I’m no where near as loving as Rich was. I’ve been asking myself how much I care about those around me. I do, but often I don’t. How often am I really thinking about what’s best for someone else and how I can serve them? When it’s brought to my attention, sure, but I can get so locked up in what I’m doing, and when serving people in one capacity (such as work), how much is left for others? But yet it all matters. And I wonder if being friendly but not wholehearted is being fake, or whether it’s better to ignore if I truly don’t care? But sometimes the very act of being friendly can open up my heart to care. Rich Mullins loved. St. Francis was known for just being loving, humbly yet powerfully. I bet he was friendly. Perhaps he had a slow enough pace to smell the flowers, and befriend the sun, moon, and stars. Maybe I should be a Franciscan. I wonder if any of them use the Internet…probably not. So maybe not. But I can still walk in a field of flowers, smell the air, and maybe one day, learn to love.