New Pope's style fascinates
Pastor Alice Warness
Jorge Mario Bergoglio from Buenos Aires, Argentina became the 266th Pope and has gone on to capture the attention of the entire world. He has the ability to fascinate both Catholics and Protestants with what he has to say and the way he lives.
Some opponents have linked him with liberation theology (a movement, developed mainly by Latin American Roman Catholics, that emphasizes liberation from social, political, and economic oppression as an anticipation of ultimate salvation.) He never affirms or denies it.
The Pope refuses to live in the luxurious apartment that is provided by the Catholic Church. He places the poor at the center of his service to God and living like a King is not part of this equation.
Instead, he walks around doing servant tasks like washing the feet of a Muslim female inmate or putting a child on the papal seat during a talk at St. Peter’s. He actually embraced and kissed a man with leprosy, which shocked and scared those who saw it.
He is changing the attitudes and expectations of Catholics and Protestants by being a sincere Christian who loves the poor and the outcast. He takes his job seriously and doesn’t expect much in return. It is his sincerity that is making all Christians sit up and take notice.
So many churches today are worrying over the loss of membership. They are putting money toward programs and outreaches that never hit the mark. They try to draw in the millennials with great music and fancy technology. They are always working on something new and not making much progress.
But this humble man from Argentina doesn’t seem to worry about any of that. He just walks around doing God’s work and lets the rest of the world fuss about what God’s work should look like.
Zack Hunt says, “Pope Francis is succeeding where our best programming and marketing efforts and attempts to be relevant and cool have failed – he’s reaching those who don’t want to be reached.”
I personally believe the Pope is on to something. People today are looking for authentic religion. The only way to get that is to go back to the scriptures and listen to what they have to say. Don’t follow the latest fad out there but rather assume an attitude of Christian love.
Jesus was a servant and a savior. He hung out with and took care of those who were marginalized and overlooked. This is what Pope Francis is doing, and it is giving Christianity more credibility.
He is living out the gospel in a way that people recognize and embrace. They want more. Even teenagers line up just to see him and to get a chance to touch him. He is real and very human and he recognizes those qualities in others.
As Christians, we need to worry less about what the world thinks and more about what God thinks. That is the lesson this Pope gives us, and people love it.
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