Pope John Paul II

As many of you must know by now, Pope John Paul II is gravely ill and getting worse as this day goes on. Not a lot of people know this, but I actually did get the chance to see the pope in Baltimore while I was in college. I was relatively close and got to see him in the pope-mo-bile (as our priest called it, he was Catholic, so it isn't blasphemous, right?).

Anyway, what follows with this is that it was in college that I really came to a personal relationship with Christ. Up until that point I prayed to God, talked to Him and believed He was here for me and the world. In college I made the next step of really walking around and sometimes feeling Jesus' hand in mine when I needed it, his shoulder when I needed to cry, his voice when I needed advice and (most often) his ear when I needed to vent.

Because I was attending a Catholic college, their faith and life centered around God and the pope. It was interesting to see, with the pope being so integral in their daily lives and in worship. We Episcopalian's put our faith in communities of bishops for leadership, but it's different with the pope. When he opens his mouth and speaks, he is speaking the word of God. Not just every now and then, but every time, it's God's voice. What an awesome honor and responsibility.

Since College every article I've read about the pope brings me back to those times where I found Jesus as more than God, but also as a friend. It also reminds me that God does communicate with all of us, and does great works through us as individuals. I mean, there really is a person on this Earth with a direct line to God, leading me to believe that since he does communicate with one of us, he communicates with all of us.

The outcome for Pope John Paul II is in God’s hands now, and he has lived a life I (and many people) can only hope to live as fully. Please take some time today to keep the pope in your prayers, and hopefully to take some time to openly pray for him. While some of us may not be Catholics, we are all part of “one church”, and his influence has impacted my life and the life of all faiths.

Peace.

posted by Tom at 10:11 AM