The chronicles say: God spoke to him [Francis of Assisi] and stopped him on the way. The chroniclers make people into puppets and God into a ventriloquist. Something did happen at Spoleto, doubtless. But nothing clear: neither God the Father with His drums nor the Most High with His thunder voice. It was the Most Low who whispered in the ear of the sleeper, who spoke as only He can — very low. A wisp of a dream. The twitter of a sparrow. And that is enough to cause Francis to give up his conquests and make his way back to his own country. A few words full of shadows can change a life.
— Christian Bobin, The Very Lowly