So Life Goes

It’s a curious time. People at the top, who so many depend on, are closing the doors on their lifestyles, because, well, it’s just time to go and settle down somewhere else, to kneel or to reform or to find some sort of peace out of the glory and the holiness of their dedication to a life. Have you been surrounded and compacted by masses of people who trusted and adored them? It depends on one’s interest, one’s faith, one’s do or die embrace of American super football, for example, or retiring basketball players who have finally come to the end of the road, and they can still aim for the baskets, but they can’t use their bodies to do all the wild and crazy loops and twists and dunks that they did on basketball courts or soccer fields or rough and tumble football teams throwing it all in the pot on Sundays when they are stars for a while, for having turned their lives into stars.

There have been saints, too, who through their tedious work, trying to save the sick and the hungry and the desperate and the dying, who somehow embraced each one with a promise of love and heaven, while the sick wept and twisted and didn’t understand much in their hard beds, where life was sliding out to another residence. Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta fit that order, and I had the amazing treat to correspond with her on a small handwritten note of hope and faith. But it was too late to see her personally like so many holy people or even saints carrying on her service in India, the center of the hungry, desperate, and sad people. But they had Mother Teresa in their hands somehow, originally touching their souls and pains. She knew she would have to bow down to those humans left to die on the side of roads, because she knew they belonged to God as do all of us.

I’ve said this before. I had the great honor of attending along with thousands the bestowing of Mother Teresa to her sainthood, on a sunny day outside of St. Peter’s Basilica, i.e. the Vatican, where it was set up to honor Mother Teresa as a true saint. It was nineteen years after her death. But her bent body, her love embracing love for all who suffered. After the holy service, I was with a group of Latino VIPs who were to have audiences with the Pope, and thanks to my saint doctor, I took his place (he had to attend to a death in his family) and that was one of the greatest moments in my life on earth. Pope Francis is a simple, extraordinary Latino who has made a beautiful difference in pope lifestyles. He is also breaking down some of the walls that have been problematic for not only people who need help, but also some popes have not been specific when healing or blessing or embracing others.

Now Pope Francis seems to be considering what kind of time he has left to maybe finish the things he hoped were appropriate and needed special blessings, things to untwist and un-task to help people who are suffering and confused and needing some sort of attention that might make a difference in his or her life. Sort of shocking - but needed - is one of Pope Francis’ latest orders: the blessing of same sex couples, particularly among African Catholics. Across that continent - which is a mixture of different races as it is - having settled in the creation on the property the British had claimed for themselves, as did the Africans who had taken over the African people’s land, and they prevented everyone to live without power or finance, when the true Africans tried to take over. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (I love African names), and the wonderful Bishop Desmond Tutu, both were good people who were locked up by white folk in prisons on islands off South Africa. These two special saints eventually made it through the mire and soon became the most important leaders of South Africa, which was exploited by too many whites, too many Europeans, too many who wanted power and not employing honest ways to help; but through the apartheid activist, they put huge South Africa on the map. I love his parents name, wonderful like all African names - Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Noe with Africans who had been abused and treated with no respect in their own country.

In so many African countries, to begin with, some sex couples have rejoiced in the Pope or the Vatican’s generous blessings that it was OK. The Pope traveled to Juba, South Sudan, Lilongwe, capital of Malawi (where homosexuality was illegal.) Some can’t even mention the thought of homosexuality. But in South Africa, and surely in other parts of various African countries, the current Pope was allowing this relationship. Most people were horrified, and priests wondered how they could handle it when questioned throughout Africa. I would read this as everyone is a child of God, and through the Pope, they are able to learn about their faith, and what to do with it, how it can be a truth that serves the Lord.

British and German style priests had worked hard in Africa, back in the day, as churches were growing faster than anywhere else in the world, there was a charge to keep churches increasing with members, but this created a jolt. Some were shocked and wanted declaration of what this new OK meant, this same-sex couples in the church, and threatened to move off to the Methodist Church or some other one.  Yet churches have been growing beautifully in such spacious and creative countries. Now this. It was like a kick in the pants. Why? One bishop agreed to give blessings to same sex couples only if they were seeking God’s strength in helping to stop living in same sex unions. Bishops have the power to make changes, and I’m sure they conveyed to the Pope about the issue and what action a Bishop could take to open the doors and let in all people who believe in Jesus or not but give them all a chance because all men and women are created by God and the whole concern. It’s all about love.

~ Rev

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