Love and the Pope

I watched Pope John Paul II’s funeral mass early this morning with some tears in my eyes and a lot of love in my heart. How could one not love the Pope, a man so obviously kind and loving himself? I thought it was great that the Vatican had the world leaders arranged in alphabetical order. Men who usually were on opposite sides of issues, or even sometimes armies, sat humbly in close proximity, brought together by a leader whose only claim to power was that he represented and shared God’s love for humankind.

A history teacher friend of mine has his students debate the topic, Armies vs. Ideas - Which is the most powerful force in history? Looking at the scene on television, I would have to say neither. I think the most powerful force has been the love of God working in the lives of people, Jesus, Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr., are just a few examples. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we get a glimpse of how powerful love really is. So what is it that keeps us from letting love lose on the world? I think it is fear.