“One day, while he was gazing at the crucifix, something caught Francis’ attention. It began to rain, and he noticed water enter the church through the broken roof. He watched the water as it dripped down and splashed on the pavement. 

As it pooled up, the water spread out and seeped into the cracks in the floor. The water began running down the uneven floor to the lowest part. It flowed outside the church and seeped down into the ground.

The nature of water, Francis noticed, is to go down. He looked at Jesus on the crucifix– his blood was dripping down, going lower…. Suddenly Francis had an inspiration: God is like water? God goes down! To the lowest point!” 

(40, St. Francis of Assisi by Bret Thoman, OFS)

Notice how the roof of the church is broken. Otherwise, the rain water would flow into the gutter and straight into the ground. Likewise, our lives are not perfect, as we are all broken. The culture that we live in today creates tendencies to immediately fix the broken roof, to grab a mop and bucket, to find an umbrella, or to find a new dwelling place. Similarly, our tendencies in the spiritual life are to put up walls and barriers to keep God’s mercy and love from flowing into our deepest cracks. These barriers may take shape in addictions, distractions, materialism, or shame and doubt. However, notice that Francis is simply gazing at the crucifix, in a poor church (evident by the cracks in the roof). St. Francis knew that to imitate Jesus means to be in a poor church, which is for the poor, and to allow nothing to prevent you from gazing upon God. 

Creating a “poor church, which is for the poor” as Pope Francis desires, begins with acknowledging our own poverty, our own brokenness. Where is God’s merciful love trying to seep into? Have you used your own will to build up a dam that puddles the water? Or have you chosen to gaze at the crucifix and allow God’s love to reach the lowest point?

The brokenness of our lives creates the cracks that allow God’s water to fill. Allow God’s healing water, the merciful Creator’s tears, the blood of the cross, to drip down through your brokenness, to the darkest depths of your soul. It is only once water settles in those lowest points that it can then evaporate and reach the most elevated spots, the clouds that hold all our joys. 

Finally, do not be afraid to become like water for your family, friends, neighbors, and those on the margins of our society. Be a medium for God’s grace by allowing yourself to enter into those low points in the lives of others. Then too, like water that evaporates and finds rest in the clouds, you will rest in the joys of others.