Peter saw the world so, when he was crucified head downwards. … He would be thankful to God for not dropping the whole cosmos like a vast crystal to be shattered into falling stars. “If a man saw the world upside down, with all the trees and towers hanging head downwards as in a pool, one effect would be to emphasize the idea of dependence. Because of his unusual viewpoint he glimpses a new reality. By standing on his head he sees everything from a fresh perspective. The mystic also sees the true nature of reality. In a review of the book Dale Ahlquist explains how Chesterton understands Francis’ topsy-turvy commitment as integral to his mysticism. Francis turns the world of power, prestige, prosperity and piety on its head with his embrace of poverty, chastity and obedience. It’s the concept I had when naming my blog, “Standing on My Head.” The quote from Chesterton is, “Any scene such as a landscape can sometimes be more clearly and freshly seen if it is seen upside down.” St.
Far be it from me to endorse the dreaded “clown Masses,” but this image of the jaunty juggler, the traveling minstrel, the whimsical jester in God’s court is a fitting image for both Francis and Chesterton.Ĭhesterton points out that Francis, like a tumbler in the circus, stood things on their head. Francis is Chesterton’s homage to a saint he always felt close to.Ĭhesterton portrays Francis as a builder and a fighter, but the image at the heart of Chesterton’s meditation is the jongleur de Dieu-God’s juggler, God’s jester, God’s clown. The first book he wrote after his conversion to the Catholic faith, St. Francis is one of his most sparkling and cutting-edge books.
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