St Luke in Chapter 15 of Acts tells us that there was a church council in Jerusalem. The council was called to resolve the problem of the Gentiles and the law. Here is the letter the Council wrote advising the believers, of their decision: (Acts 15:23b‐29)

"The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. ²⁴Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment; ²⁵it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: ²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”                                                      (WEB)

Why is this letter important? I think because, the Apostles, those taught directly by Jesus, set aside the Law of Moses. They set aside the requirements of the covenant. It freed the believers from the onerous duties required by the Law. In other words, it meant the believers did not have to be Jews.

I believe that over the centuries the church universal has being trying to re‐establish parts of the old Law of Moses, trying to redefine what the Council at Jerusalem prescribed, or trying to impose its own particular, political needs on the believers. It has been both highly successful and spectacularly unsuccessful in these attempts.

I think we should not look to the old Law; we should not look to the politics; we should not look to the power struggles; we should not look to the torturous theological debates and arguments. We should, I think, look to Christ.

Matthew 22:35‐40

³⁵One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”  ³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. 39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” (WEB)

Mark 12:28‐34

 ²⁸ One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?” ²⁹ Jesus answered, “The greatest is, ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one: ³⁰ you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. ³¹ The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” ³² The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, ³³ and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”  ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”             (WEB)

Luke 10:25‐37

²⁵ Behold a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  26 He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” ²⁷ He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” ²⁸ He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” ²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” ³⁰ Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. ³¹ By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. ³³ But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, ³⁴ came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. ³⁵ On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, and gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ ³⁶ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?”  ³⁷ He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”  Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”.                                                                                                          (WEB)

We all know the story. Jesus cast the Samaritan as the neighbour. Jesus chose someone rejected by the "Accepted Religious Establishment" to be a witness. Jesus used the Samaritan, to reveal a need, to show how people had become abandoned, lost, alone, hurt and in need of comfort and care. Jesus made the Samaritan’s actions prophetic. He used the Samaritan as a prophet, to shout out to a world bereft of compassion.

That is the Charism of the EFO. To be like Jesus’ prophetic Samaritan. From our place on the edges of today’s "Accepted Religious Establishment" to speak out, to act, to shout to all, there are two Commandments: Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbour as yourself. EFO brothers and sisters, draw on their love of God and give voice to the call. Live their lives, showing all there is another way. Calling to the church, calling to the establishment, calling to the politicians, call to the community, calling to the people, calling to themselves. Showing how to love our neighbour. Because We believe that when we do this, we will honour the commission given to Francis "Go re‐build my church, which as you see, is falling down around you."