Sometimes I wish Jesus would just answer the question instead of giving us another question to ponder. Because what exactly belongs to the emperor? And what belongs to God? And how are we supposed to figure out the difference?

The author of this parable gives God the status of a King, but also gives God the attributes of violent earthly Kings. We know how kings and colonization and destruction work. We know what happens when those with power decide that their authority matters more than the lives of the people they oppress. But that is not the God we know. 

Francis seemed to understand something that is easy for us to forget: animals are not simply things that belong to us. They are part of the community of creation. Francis called them his brothers and sisters. He understood that we are connected to all of creation—the animals we love, the beasts we never encounter, the earth beneath our feet, the water that nourishes and sustains, and the people sitting beside us. We are even connected to the people and creatures we might not particularly like.

The world was not simply a collection of things for human beings to possess or control. Creation is a community. The sun was his brother. The moon was his sister. The birds were fellow creatures. The earth was not merely something beneath his feet. It was part of the great family of God.