Friday, September 25, 2015

Thoughts on The Pope's Visit

Well, it is all the Pope, all the time on TV. Although I am not Catholic, I have been watching a lot of it with interest. In this time when an anti-Christian sentiment is growing in our world, our country, and our universities, I am interested when anyone who has faith in Christ is given respect and an opportunity to speak for Christians and Christian values.

I heard one commentator discuss the Pope's address to the U.N. and label it as cautious and non-confrontational. He must have heard a different speech than I did.

The Pope did speak in a quiet and gentle voice. No shouting, no name calling, no arm waving. Remember that old saying that refers to how people react differently to events depending on "whose ox is gored"? Well, in his soft-spoken, half-hour speech to the U.N., the Pope gored just about everyone's ox. I thought he took no prisoners, in, of course, the most loving and considerate way.

At the conclusion of his speech the Pope asked people to pray for him, no matter what their religious beliefs, and, if they had no faith, to wish him well. This is not an arrogant, "I'm right up there with God," man. He clearly stays very well informed about what's going on in the world, and he has very definite opinions about it. And expresses those opinions with love and gentleness.

I am sure that his speech is probably available online somewhere, if you did not hear it. I would say a hearty "Amen" to most of what he said. The pity is that most of the hearts that need to hear it most desperately are already so hardened they will pass it by with a sneer.

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