A reflection on the life of Pope Francis

 

{Disclaimer: While I am a lifelong Baptist, and an ordained minister of that denomination, my wife of nearly 24 years, Nicole, is a practicing Roman Catholic, I have attended Saturday afternoon Mass with her about a thousand times by now.  This offers me an outsiders insight into that tradition.}

History judges some people more leniently than their contemporaries and others more harshly, in time we have perspective on their contributions and their failings.  That being the case, it is far too early to understand what the impact will be upon future generations of Catholics, or upon the worldwide Church, of the life and pontificate of Francis.  The question for today is much simpler: What impression did his choices and priorities make upon me?  Undoubtedly others will have a different view, this is simply mine.

I won't spend any time on our theological differences, as a Baptist minister I will have them with any Catholic priest, let alone a pope, those are obvious enough to anyone familiar with the Reformation.  Instead, let me offer this as a measuring stick: How did Pope Francis reflect the heart of the Gospel?

If you're like me, your initial thought when hearing, "The heart of the Gospel," is to jump right to salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  When we think of the "heart" as the center or essence of something, that's a definition straight from the hand of the Apostle Paul, one that would be recognized and approved of in any generation of the Church.  Among many other places, this essence of the Gospel is professed in Ephesians 2:8-9.

There is an additional aspect to the "heart" of the Gospel that interests me in connection with Pope Francis, and that is its emotional quality.  How should the message of the Gospel make us feel, and how should the commandment that Jesus has given his followers to share that message to all direct our lives?  It is absolutely necessary that we retain and proclaim the apostolic understanding of salvation in/through Jesus Christ, but we also need to be a people whose attitudes, words, and deeds reflect that we were all once lost sinners saved by God's grace.

This is where the life of Pope Francis speaks to me the most.  Throughout his life as a priest, bishop, and eventually his elevation to being pope, it was evident to those who knew him that Jorge Mario Bergoglio cared deeply for the poor, the disenfranchised, the downtrodden, and forgotten.  He had a heart for those who needed help the most.  Whatever else he managed to accomplish in life, this passion reflected one of the qualities of Christ-likeness.  As we all know, Jesus famously embraced the prostitutes, tax collectors, and "sinners" of his day, much to the chagrin of his critics who despised them.  Jesus made this outreach to the downtrodden a centerpiece of his proclamation of the Kingdom of God.  In the community that Jesus was establishing, all would be welcome who came to him in faith, even lepers, Samaritans, and a woman caught in adultery.  

If your life is remembered for nothing else, would it not be a life worth celebrating if we could say that you were inspired by Jesus to love the unloved?

History will in time put Pope Francis' life in perspective, in this moment at least, it seems clear enough to me what was important about it.  Everyone who chooses the servant's path of imitating Jesus' love for those in need deserves to be honored, and so I offer up my own appreciation for how committed Pope Francis was to seeing the value in each person.

If I say anything about guns...

As a minister of the Gospel, if I say anything about guns, whichever side I take, half of you will no longer listen to my proclamation of the Word of God.  You will dismiss me as either a socialist or a fascist, and allow your opinion about guns to taint what I say about anything else.  The same danger exists if I say anything about abortion, taxes, immigration, gay marriage, or whichever hot button issue next consumes our political consciousness.  As a minister of the Gospel, I take my oath to proclaim the saving grace of God in Jesus Christ seriously, very seriously, it is the most important idea that I could share with anyone, anywhere.  That being said, I've made no secret of my own decision to self-limit my public comments upon the political/culture war issues, precisely because I don't want to allow anything else to affect the ability of others to hear the Gospel.  There are limited exceptions, when a public issue impinges upon the Church itself, or the discussion at hand is what the Bible itself teaches about an issue, I have no issue with weighing in; hopefully in a constructive and God-honoring way.

Last March I saw firsthand the danger of treading close to this political read line when I wrote a post entitled, "God loves you too much to ignore your sexuality".  In that post, I wrote about God's perspective on human sexuality, not about American laws or politics, focusing upon sexual sin as defined in God's Word in both its heterosexual and homosexual forms, but one comment that I saw in response to my post was, "I used to respect this pastor until I read this..."  Although I was able through conversation to repair that impression, and I think keep that individual from ignoring my words in the future, it pointed to the grave danger facing pastors and Christian apologists all over America today, when we involve ourselves in anything remotely political, half of the audience are hearing our words with their own political rose colored glasses, and the other half are plugging up their ears in disgust.

What does it say of Christians, and those purporting to be Christians, that so many of them are willing to place their devotion to political issues above the Gospel, the Word of God, and the men and women called by God to proclaim it?  It says we're in grave danger as a Church.  There is no such thing as a Republican Church and a Democrat Church, but we've fooled ourselves into thinking that God's Church is really so limited, that God is on our side, whichever one that is, and against their side, that the issues advocated by our politicians are 100% Christian, and those advocated by their politicians are inspired by the devil.  We've cheapened the Church, cheapened the Gospel, and fooled ourselves into thinking Christ died only for people like us.  I say we have done this because it is so widespread in the Church today, I hope that I and my church are free of this disease; I've striven to keep my own mind free of it, and to keep such partisanship out of our congregation, but I'm not proud enough or naive enough to think that it could not infect my own mind or my church in the future.

When Pope Francis spoke out against the danger of the love of money and the need for God's people to have compassion upon the poor, he was branded a communist by loud-mouthed political pundits, and that antipathy toward the Pope was cheered by many Christians.  The problem here is, the Bible absolutely says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil and demands of God's people that they show compassion to those in need.  The only way to justify condemning such concerns from Pope Francis is through either anti-Catholic bias (i.e. condemn the message because we hate the messenger) or a rejection of what the Church, and Israel before it, have preached (if not always followed) for the past 3,500 years.  

We should not be overly surprised by such things, however, when Jesus declined to choose sides in the contentious issue of his day regarding the paying of taxes to Rome, it only angered further those who wanted to use him for their own narrow purposes, or condemn him based upon his politics.  Throughout the Gospels, Jesus remained focused upon his mission, the one thing that he needed to do that nobody else could, not allowing himself to be distracted by today's issues when eternity was at stake.

If I tell you what I think should be done about school shootings and other gun violence, half of you will no longer listen when I proclaim the Gospel.

If I tell you what I think America's immigration policy should be, half of you will no longer hear me when I proclaim the Word of God.

And so I hold back, not because I don't have the right to my opinions, not because I can't ground my opinions in Christian theology and a Christian worldview, but for your sake because you NEED to hear the Gospel from God's Word far more than you need to hear my political opinions, whether you agree with them or not.

Thoughts on Pope Francis' speech to Congress

There are only a handful of people in our world today who could receive glowing coverage from CNN and Fox News at the same time.  The recent visit of Pope Francis to the United States saw such a confluence of the American political right and left, both of whom see something in Pope Francis that they would like to claim as their own (either through genuine admiration or hope of politically co-opting his popularity), and at the same time, both sides also see things in what he says and does that trouble them, things that they would rather ignore.  In this reaction, cheering for what we already believe and pretending not to hear what we disagree with, I see a microcosm of how Christians too often respond to the claims of the Gospel.  We embrace those portions of it that conform to our own ideas and try to ignore or twist into something they are not those portions that would require us to change.
For example: Republicans cheered when Pope Francis said, "I cannot hide my concern for the family, which is threatened, perhaps as never before, from within and without.  Fundamental relationships are being called into question, as is the very basis of marriage and the family."  Republicans saw this as a criticism of the legalization of gay marriage in America, they cheered, the Democrats were silent.  Elsewhere, however, it was the turn of Democrats to cheer and Republicans to sit on their hands when Pope Francis said about those hoping to travel north to America, "We must not be taken aback by their numbers, but rather view them as persons, seeing their faces and listening to their stories, trying to respond as best we can to their situation.  To respond in a way which is always humane, just, and fraternal."  The same pattern existed, among Congress, and no doubt the audience watching at home, when mention was made of protecting the environment, abolishing the death penalty, halting the arms trade, and having an economy that "seeks to be modern, inclusive, and sustainable."
Politicians are happy to claim the Pope's popularity when it suits them, and just as quick to dismiss his ideas on the economy or social issues when what he says would challenge their political beliefs.  It is not necessary to agree with the solutions offered by Pope Francis to any particular issue, but we must, as Christians, at least be intellectually honest with ourselves by admitting when we too, like the politicians, are only listening to what we want to hear.
The teachings of Jesus Christ do not fit in cozily with the political views of either the Republicans or the Democrats, both of whom have made Faustian political compromises for the sake of expediency, Republicans with business interests at the expense of the poor, and Democrats with the intellectual class at the expense of the unborn, just to name the most obvious failure of each camp to follow the Gospel's declaration of the dignity and brotherhood of all men.  You cannot be an honest follower of Jesus Christ and ignore the need to help the poor.  You also cannot be an honest follower of Jesus Christ and ignore the sanctity of life and marriage.  It is not acceptable for Republicans to dismiss Pope Francis' cry to help the poor against the abuses of Capitalism by calling him a Socialist, and it is not acceptable for Democrats to drown out Pope Francis' plea for the unborn by calling the decision to end that life a "choice" or a "right".
Disagree with Pope Francis' politics if you want, this is America and he is just a man, even if he does have a fancy hat and a cool car, but dismiss the claim that the Gospel has upon you to protect the poor, the vulnerable, and the innocent among us at your own peril.  In the end, I'm glad that Pope Francis made both the Republicans and the Democrats uncomfortable in their turn, for as a representative of the Gospel, speaking to a culture in need of its transformative power, their is plenty in American politics and culture that Pope Francis has rightly diagnosed as being in need of change.

Pope Francis is attacking Capitalism and defending Environmentalism; why aren't you cheering?

In his recent trip to South America, Pope Francis has given several speeches that have been have been critical of Capitalism, and supportive of Environmentalism.  In his speech, he called the "unfettered pursuit of money" the "dung of evil", he also called world leaders "cowards" for not working harder to protect the planet.  The response from many Americans, particularly conservatives and/or Republicans will be to call the Pope a Communist and dismiss his concern for the poor and God's creation.  Some of the reaction against the Pope will be good old fashioned anti-Catholic sentiment, some of it will be a holdover gut reaction to the anti-Communist rhetoric of the Cold War, and some of it will be a genuine lack of compassion for the plight of the poor, whether that be locally or in the Third World.  The backlash against Pope Francis is predictable, but it is misguided, because if you have a problem, as a Christian, with Pope Francis defending the poor by speaking out against greed, or defending the planet by speaking out against wasteful uses of resources (which hurt the poor the most, given that much of the worst environmental practices take place in resource rich but exceedingly poor countries), then your problem isn't with Francis at all, its with Jesus.
That ought to be a problem for American Christians who are blessed with both freedom and a high standard of living.  We ought to feel an obligation toward the less fortunate, a passion to help whenever and wherever we can, and outrage when the powerless are exploited by the powerful.  We ought to feel these things, and take action, because they were the themes that Jesus returned to again and again as he defended the lowest members of his society against the high and mighty.  Pope Francis didn't decide that the mission of the Church is to care for the "least of these", Jesus did.  Pope Francis didn't decide that Christians need to respect our planet, our Creator did.
If Jesus is the root of the fiery passion that the Pope has for these issues, why haven't you joined your voice in support of his?  If you don't really care about the poor, and are fine with cheap consumer products made through exploitation of Third World labor and resources, your heart is far where Jesus commanded us to be as his people.  To care about the poor, to do something about their plight, and to believe in conservation of the planet is not a political stance, it is a Biblical one; Capitalism is the best system we've found through a long history of trial and error, but it is far from perfect, as would be any system created by and run by fallen humanity.  We, the Church, need to stand with the least and the lowest, it is our place in this world, for it is the place to which our Savior knelt to be the servant of all.

Pope Francis' views on capitalism and Rush Limbaugh

I turned 18 on the day of the 1992 Presidential election between George Bush and Bill Clinton.  It was my first opportunity to vote, and my first experience with being disappointed by an election.  I grew up in a solidly Republican rural county, was a member of a Bible preaching church that was also clearly Republican in its attitude.  I remember speaking out against the Pope (John Paul II at the time) without knowing much about him because it was a given within evangelical circles that when the Anti-Christ came he would be the Pope (as reflected in the Left Behind series).  I listened to Rush Limbaugh on my commute home from work and agreed with much of what he had to say.
Over the years my eyes were opened to ecumenical issues, I became aware of the work of God within churches of other denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church.  My opinion of Pope John Paul II, now informed, was raised greatly by his brave stance against Soviet Communism.  At the same time, I began to listen to Rush Limbaugh less with each passing year; much of the reason was simply that I was tired of hearing the same old complaints and no longer accepted that Democrats were inherently evil and Republicans more/less good.  My understanding of human nature informed my understanding of politics because I could see that Lord Acton was right when he spoke about the tendency of absolute power to corrupt absolutely.  The solution to America's problems was never going to begin in Washington, on that level I still agreed with Rush, but we diverged when he saw an economic solution through the American businessman and I saw a spiritual solution through the Church.  Eventually, I stopped listening to Rush Limbaugh because I still have hope for America's future and the constant government is evil pronouncements he continues to offer isn't helpful to me as I work on a daily basis with the poor alongside government officials who I know truly want to help them.
Is Pope Francis a Marxist?  Hardly, Pope Francis decided not to join the Liberation Theology movement in Argentina, nor did he side with the government as they tried to suppress communist movements.  What the future Pope did instead was to continue to minister to the people that God had called him to serve.  Rugged Individualism may sound like a great idea, but it isn't a Biblical one.  Yes, each person should work if able, but washing your hands of those who are struggling, or have failed, to succeed in a given economic system is an unacceptable anti-Christian attitude.  We may disagree on how to truly help the poor, but we cannot afford to write-off the poor lest we destroy the integrity our very message of love in Christ.
Who will I listen to about justice for the world's poor?  The man who spent his life living with, and helping the poor as a representative of God's Church, or a man who sits behind a radio microphone and calls that man a Marxist?  The choice really isn't that hard, I'm done with Rush Limbaugh.
I know that this line of thought may cause some of the people who knew me growing up to shake their heads and wonder what took me down a road away from their idea of what a Conservative Evangelical Christian should be; they may even stop reading my blog out of some sort of allegiance to Rush.  If they do, that's their choice, I'm living my life in service to the call of Christ to help the widows and orphans, to hold out hope to the hopeless, to love them in the name of Christ.  Politics isn't the solution, it never was.  Pope Francis may not have all the answers, but at least he's on the right track, and I have no reason to doubt his willingness to carry his cross for the sake of the Gospel; I'll keep listening to him.

Is Pope Francis right about the Gospel?

Nothing like an attention grabbing headline to get people to read an article.  This particular headline is most likely worth a chuckle to most readers, perhaps a shocked double-take to the few who wouldn't believe a Pope if he said the grass was green.  In a recent interview that was widely published by the Vatican, Pope Francis commented on the centrality of the Gospel message to the work and teachings of the Church.

A beautiful homily, a genuine sermon must begin with the first proclamation, with the proclamation of salvation. There is nothing more solid, deep and sure than this proclamation. Then you have to do catechesis. Then you can draw even a moral consequence. But the proclamation of the saving love of God comes before moral and religious imperatives. (America Magazine)

The take-away from the media was that the Pope wants Catholics to downplay the issues of the culture wars such as abortion and homosexuality; in other words, "Watch out conservatives, this Pope is a liberal!"  That erroneous reporting actually proves Pope Francis' point, the Church (and our message as perceived by the media) has been hijacked by moral and religious imperatives at the expense of the core message of our faith: that Christ died to save sinners. 
As a Church, we're in the business of reconciliation.  Reconciliation is our ministry, it is our mission.  We exist to help people find their way back home to their Heavenly Father.  If we fail in that mission, no other victory that we may achieve, political, cultural, or otherwise, will be worth anything.  If we win the culture wars, but lose the battle over for the souls of the Lost, we haven't won a thing.  In actuality, the Pope didn't say anything that hundreds of old-time Gospel revival preachers hadn't said before.  For example, the epitome of the revival sermon style given by one of history's great preachers, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", by Jonathen Edwards, focuses very clearly on the absolute need for each and every person to make a personal commitment to Christ.

And now you have an extraordinary Opportunity,

a Day wherein Christ has flung the Door

of Mercy wide open, and stands in the Door calling

and crying with a loud Voice to poor Sinners; a

Day wherein many are flocking to him, and pressing

into the Kingdom of God; many are daily coming

from the East, West, North and South; many

that were very lately in the same miserable Condition

that you are in, are in now an happy State,

with their Hearts filled with Love to Him that has

loved them and washed them for their Sins in his

own Blood, and rejoycing in Hope of the Glory

of God. How awful is it to be left behind at such

a Day!

Is Pope Francis right about the Gospel?  Absolutely, it is and must always be our highest priority.  As ministers of the Gospel, our number one goal is to heal the broken-hearted, to share Christ's offer of forgiveness.  It is only then that our secondary goals, moral growth and maturity have any hope of success.  We cannot convince culture to cherish the unborn if they won't even save themselves from God's judgment, and we cannot hope to save marriages if we don't elevate the Bride of Christ by proclaiming to any and all that the Marriage Supper of the Lamb still has room for many guests. (Rev. 19:6-9)
Does that mean we walk away from moral issues, of course not.  It means that we should have our priorities straight, we should give no man just cause to think that any issue is more important to us than the Gospel, and it means that we need to not worry about our ancestors rolling over in their graves, we need to agree with Pope Francis.  The proclamation of the saving love of God comes first.
To read an excellent article on how poorly the intent of Pope Francis' words have been reported, click on the following link: Edward Morrissey's article