Perhaps there is hope for us yet as a society.
I realize that we are all on our own faith journey, or perhaps we are just trying to be a good person all on our own. While I am Catholic, I am smart enough to know that my path may not be your path…and that is fine, it doesn’t have to be. I find it all-consuming just trying to be a decent human being myself, without trying to sit in judgment of others.
What is interesting with the new Pope is that you don’t have to be a Catholic, or even a Christian to know a good man when you see one…and apparently, the editors at Time Magazine see a good man too.
In a world where flash is king, and substance takes a back seat; the Pope’s selection means that we do have a good measuring stick of what it means to be a kind and caring person. Granted, the media's measuring stick needed to be dusted off from lack of use; but the point is, the world still knows goodness when they see it.
In Pope Francis, we have a leader who has turned his back on the trapping of his office. He carries his own bags, he stays in modest accommodations, and he has given up his limo ride. How I wish he could spend a while in Washington once he gets those in Rome used to living on less.
We now have a humble man as the leader of the Catholic faithful. He secretly goes out at night to help the poor, and he has urged the priests he oversees to do the same. He sets an example that actions are more a reflection of one’s faith than words.
The Pope has gone out of his way to be inclusive, even to those whose values might be counter to church teaching. He has set an example that, while you may not agree with another’s position, it does not give you the right to mean and nasty about it. We could all take a page out of the Pope’s play book on this point.
Pope Francis may have ruffled the feathers of some when he talked the condition of the world economy, but we now have a world where the gap between the “have’s” and the ” have-not’s” is growing. Critics may say this is socialist, or communist-leaning economics…but I don’t think he was talking about state redistribution of wealth. I think he meant that, those at the top had a moral responsibility to act with fairness towards their fellow men and women. Those in charge must lead with their heart and not their wallets.
I think what I admire most has been his openness to show love towards those society ignores. We have all seen the pictures of him embracing the man covered in facial tumors, or the man with the disfigured face. There are countless other examples where he has sought out those pushed aside by a world seeking physical perfection. By his simple acts, he has shown us that there is beauty in everyone.
It is this last point which made the Pope Man of Year in my eyes a while ago. None of us are ever going to be in such a position of power, where we will be able to influence heads of state, or financial icons. There aren’t photographers and reporters following us around everyday chronicling everything we do. But that doesn’t make us any less important. We encounter the same sort of people as the pope does. The difference is, he takes the time to make them feel loved and wanted. Can we say we do the same?
I will end with this…
In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. -Mother Teresa
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