I'm not a Catholic and I don't see myself becoming one at this time in life... but I love our Pope! In fact, I think that he's the greatest spiritual leader of my lifetime- by some measure- except for the Rev. Billy Graham, who also spoke the truth in love and practiced what he preached.
In a world filled with self-indulgence, the Pope calls for restraint. In a world where everyone is suspicious of everyone else, the Pope calls for love and understanding. In a world where the most popular dream is to "grab all you can," the Pope calls for charity... and greater equity. In a world where people honestly believe that "perception is everything," the Pope suggests that our inner self is much more important. In a world where people are increasingly isolated from one another, the Pope reminds us that we're all connected... and that we really are brothers and sisters in Christ. In short, the Pope, like Christ, marches to the beat of a different drummer. He heard and responded to God's call for his life and he lives as if God's word really is the Gospel. I find the his joy, candor, and positive message to be absolutely invigorating.
I've led adult studies through the entire Bible many times now, and I've long found these things to be true: 1) the Biblical message is neither Republican nor Democrat. These are modern political ideologies- both of which are man-made (literally) and self-serving; 2) from cover to cover, the Bible notes that love is an "action" word which finds in life in the way we treat and serve others. Being righteous- doing the right thing- by your family, your community, your country, and certainly your God- is one of the Bible's primary themes, whether we're reading the 10 Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount; 3) any religion or spiritual viewpoint that calls us to hate others must be wrong... because God is love; 4) Righteousness is a central Biblical theme. We need to behave ourselves and lead honorable lives, no doubt, but we are also called to practice justice, which means keeping an eye on the widow, the orphan, the alien, and others who are vulnerable. It speaks to safety nets... and to providing opportunity for all of God's children. In Matthew 25, Jesus judged the "goats" harshly because they neither saw nor responded to Him in the least among them. This is not a political statement, but it is Biblical; 5) rich people will have trouble getting into the kingdom of heaven because they are quite likely to fall in love with their wealth. Yes, it's the love of money that's a sin- not money per se- but money and the love of money are kissing cousins. Money beckons for and demands our worship, which is why Jesus spoke of its danger time and time again. Money is, at best, a tempter, and at worst, an idol. The Pope is right about this.
Theologically, the Pope and I are not in agreement. We hold different views, but we are one when it comes to Scripture. I admire his ability to live out a message of grace, righteousness, and justice, recognizing that abortion is not an act of righteousness. I am personally challenged by many Bible verses. Some seem to conservative. Some seem to liberal. Some of them appeal to my own views. Some of them challenge me to do business with the living God. As God's word, the Bible is always incredibly affirming or disturbingly challenging... because it is God's word. Amen.
