This is a photo of a figure that stands outside of the Church of St. Francis
of Assisi in Guardiagrele, Italy. I assume the figure is St. Francis, but I don’t
have any information about the artist or the context, and Google hasn’t
helped me figure it out. I can imagine interpreting the man’s posture in lots
of different ways, but today, for me, it looks like gratitude. Arms and eyes
lifted in thanksgiving.
Perhaps I’m influenced by my own memories of encountering this figure. I
stood in front of him with my mom at the start of a day filled with laughter.
We wandered the little town of Guardiagrele, unexpectedly meeting the
most unforgettable people along the way. A kind man in a tourist office who
patiently tried to answer our questions despite our complete inability to
communicate in Italian. An elderly woman on a narrow little street who
beckoned us into her home and proudly showed us around the simple
space.
And then a self-appointed tour guide at the Cathedral of Santa Maria
Maggiore—she noticed us trying to have a quick peek into the locked doors
as she scurried by on the street, proceeded to let us into the building, and
began what was at least an hour-long impromptu tour entirely in Italian. A
little while into it, another couple entered the building and unwittingly got
enveloped in her tour. They were from Spain, but knew enough Italian to
understand what she was saying. (We then figured out that if they told me
what she was saying in Spanish, I could gather enough basics to share it
with my mom in English, and we all laughed together at being captive to
our quirky accidental guide and the randomness of our multilingual game of
telephone.)
All this is to say, at the end of that day—and as I look back on all of its gifts
—I see that figure of St. Francis(?) in a posture of gratitude. And though
much has changed, for both me and the world, I’m cherishing the start of
another day, filled with the possibility of unexpected gifts. And I, too, am
filled with gratitude.
Let us pray:
Generous God, may this day bring unexpected gifts. May our hearts be
open to receive them. May our arms and eyes be lifted in thanksgiving to
you. Amen.
Pastor Kate