Who is more kind than a Pope?

"The closer a person is to God, the closer he is to people." —Pope Benedict XVI Homily, Dec. 8, 2005

This quote, on the surface, looks contradictory. How can one be close to a holy God and close to sinful humans at the same time?

Somewhere in the last 20 years I came across this quote and was affected enough by it that I wrote it down for further ponderance. With the passing of Pope Francis on Monday, it seemed an appropriate time for that pondering to occur. So, while I brushed my teeth, I thought about it but came up with nothing. Then, I had a chat with my new good friend GPT and my mind was opened.

If one is close to God, and God is love, then the one is also full of love. That love should overflow and be shared with other people. Oh man, I loved singing “Pass It On” when I attended an Episcopal school for 1st grade.

It only takes a spark

To keep a fire going

And soon all those around

Can warm up in its glowing.

That’s how it is with God’s love

Once you’ve experienced it

You spread His love, to everyone

You want to pass it on.

If we are close to God, we are His servant. We are his hands and feet. (This reminds me of the Casting Crowns song “If We Are the Body”.)

If we are in tune with God, then we are not looking down on anyone but are happy to be among them, shining the light of Christ wherever we go.

Personally, I feel a bit contradictory about the naming of a new Pope. I was not always Catholic. For more than half my life I was Methodist. When I converted to Catholicism I did a lot of studying and came to many new understandings about the faith. So now I know why Catholics believe what they believe and why certain processes occur within the church, but I also know how the non-Catholics are likely to view these things.

So while I feel close to God as I wait to see who the new Pope will be, and appreciate the pageantry and tradition of the selection, I actually don’t want to be close to the people (as in the non-Catholic people) at this time because I don’t want to feel mocked or looked down upon because of this process and tradition that man non-Catholics don’t understand.

Of course, I recognize that it is an opportunity to share my faith with others and clear up any misconceptions they may have. However, I have never felt that quick verbal defenses are my strong suit. My voice is in my fingers. So I will offer this for my non-Catholic readers: Leave a question or a comment in the comments and I will respond.