Unholy
Holiness
“I
have been all things unholy; if God can work through me [God] can
work through anyone.”
St.
Francis of Assissi
So
said St. Francis of Assissi in the 12th century. This
message was echoed recently by Pope Francis when someone asked him,
“Who are you?” His simple response, “I am a sinner.” It is
astonishing to realize that only three years ago, he was hardly known
outside Argentina, and now people from all over the globe, Catholic
and non-Catholic, line the streets for hours in hopes of catching a
mere glimpse of him. The world is desperate for an authentic
spiritual leader.
It
is said that when the world is in its darkest hour, such a leader
will appear. The Pope's message, and that of St. Francis, is for
all of us. No one has led a perfect life—speaking for myself, of
course. And, God knows, the church has done horrific damage to many.
The same can be said for every religion and ideology on planet earth,
since every one is made up of imperfect people. But the Pope's words
transcend religion—they are a message about survival. When he asks
us to work together, to look at the faces of the poor and the
immigrant, to hear their stories, he is pleading with us to recognize
that there is an imperative to unite as a species. To understand that
freedom, justice and human rights must include all of us, and not
just a few.
The
Pope's demeanor, the model he embodies of humility and compassion,
are a counterpoint to the the bravado, hardness of heart, and harsh
rhetoric we have come to believe are signs of strength. We have
turned the Gospel of Love inside out and nailed its absolute opposite
to the church doors as cannon law. But it's not too late. Just like
St. Francis, we are flawed, but we can still walk in the footsteps of
the Fisherman.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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