The Gospel: What it is not

A look at some common mistakes

One day about eight hundred years ago, a young man named Francis of Assisi was praying before a cross in the run-down church of San Damiano. He was lost in contemplation when, as if out of nowhere, Francis heard a voice coming from the crucifix.

“Francis,” it said, “go rebuild my church, which you see is in ruins.” Impelled by the voice, Francis began a restoration project on the dilapidated building. He cleared out the debris, patched the roof , and hauled new stones into place to shore up the walls. He even took to the city streets, begging for money so that he could buy the necessary materials.

But that’s not exactly what God meant. Over time Francis realized that Jesus was calling him to rebuild the whole church spiritually, not physically.

Misunderstanding and miscom­munication are a natural part of life. We have all misspoken or taken someone’s words the wrong way. Sometimes these misunderstand­ings have led us to make mistakes at work, to get a negative impres­sion about someone, or to lash out in anger over a supposed insult. And sometimes these…

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