Sometimes, silence is deafening. When little or nothing is said about a great leader of a major Christian denomination, one can safely conclude that politics are playing a bigger role in current affairs than is religion and Christian charity.
Those who find it hard to say a good word about the first non-Italian Pope in about 400 years, the once Karol Wotijwa of Poland, one who made overtures to Jews and visited Israel, one who made overtures to Islam and visited the historic Ummayad mosque in Syria, one who could speak so many languages, including Spanish and Hindi - and reached out to the world and together, we destroyed communism, died today a hero.
His message of suffering - reliving our Savior, Jesus Christ's crucifixion in a remote way - gave life and meaning to the sojourn of this vicar of Christ. He was a good man, a holy of holies, a diplomat for Jesus, and a loving human being. He came at a time in history that helped Protestant powers gain bigger victories than they could have won on their own.
I say all this because, on our way to a concert this evening, one of our lady friends said, "I'm so sick hearing about the Pope." She said absolutely nothing about his grand Passing!
Usually, we save even a kind word for our enemies on their deaths or funerals. If anyone - Christian, Muslim, Jew or Hindu; gentile, athiest, monotheist, polytheist - cannot bear it that our media is celebrating a great religious leader's life, then such persons are evil. They cannot be much good to their human neighbors they might disagree with, or those who pray differently from themselves.
Watch what is being said about the Pope in countries like China or athiestic and heathen nations, to recognize they may recognize the Savior when He returns, while so-called good Christians are good according to the political winds that blow each small day.
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Dear sister in Christ,
If a Jew or a Hindu = or a Muslim said what U said, EXACTLY AS YOU SAID IT, even you would be jarred, offended, struck by the tight-fisted charity. Coming from Christian to Christian, this is shaeful... you could have said the same thing diplomaticly, "Sorry about the Death of Pope John Paul II." His title is NOT Pope of the Catholics! Orthodox churches there are too that accept him as the Vicar of Christ. Love and Peace; Lord Jeus forgive those who will not understand.
I am still a bit numb from his passing to have anything worthwhile to say, but you have spoken eloquently and respectfully of such a Godsend of a man. Now is not the time to be concerned with minor doctrinal differences. I think that our fathers in the faith (Catholic and Protestant) would be wanting us to pray for the upcoming conclave as it will impact the entire world. God bless you!
