Nicholas of Flüe - The Peacemaker

“May your greeting be the name of Jesus.
We wish you well;
and may the gift of the Holy Spirit be your ultimate reward.”

It is with these words that Nicholas of Flüe (1417-1487) greets us. A deeply spiritual man who lived over 500 years ago in the newly born Swiss Federation which he saved from civil war. He has gone down in history as the “Father of the Nation”.

He served his country initially as a peasant mercenary, father of a large family, State councillor and judge, and then during his life as a hermit for some 20 years deep in a valley only about half a mile from his family home. In this film, Net for God invites us to discover and enter a little further into the mystery of this vocation, a vocation that was not his alone but was shared by his wife Dorothy, and by his eldest sons who gave their approval.

Brother Nicholas himself left no records for he knew neither how to read nor write. What we do have is to be found in the writings of the district scribes of the time and one sentence is particularly noteworthy as it reflects his act of sacrifice:

“My Lord and my God,
Take away from me anything that distances me from You.
My Lord and my God,
Give me everything that can bring me closer to You.
My Lord and my God,
Detach me from myself so that I give my all to You.”

Paradoxically enough, Brother Nicholas' influence on the world of his time only increased all the more as he withdrew even further.

Today we look out on a troubled world in all its different aspects. We only have to open a newspaper to see it. And sometimes we see the violence unfolding on our doorsteps, right before our eyes. Brother Nicholas' message of peace is more relevant than ever before. For the next few minutes, let us allow the film to reveal his message to us.

This film is made by the Chemin Neuf Community for the International Ecumenical Fraternity, 'Net for God'.

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