discard whatever proves troublesome

 

Our country was blessed with a visit from Pope Francis this past week, and much has been written about the man and his living interpretation of what it means to be Holy and live the Gospel.  No matter what your personal opinion of this man and his papacy might be, it is hard not to look at Pope Francis and see a certain Godly humility and compassion.  He personally challenges me to step away from ideological attitudes towards others and to engage people on an individual basis.  He tells me I will see God there.  I have no doubt I will...

In his address to our lawmakers in Congress, Francis made a point that has stuck in my head. 


"We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome. Let us remember the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12).

This Rule points us in a clear direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities. The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us. "

I was immediately convicted when I read these words - convicted because if I am honest, I recognize that in many decisions I face everyday one of the first things I will do is weigh how troublesome it will be to respond in the way I know God is asking me to.    My willingness to follow God's prodding is often inversely proportional to how much it will cost me - in terms of money or time for sure, but if I dig a little deeper it comes down to what it may cost me in terms of pride, or control or status in the eyes of others. 

In the end God, often through His servants such as Pope Francis, is asking us to follow a different path.  He is not saying that the trouble is not real, that the discomfort is somehow overstated.  He is asking us to lean into this messy place in our own lives or in the lives of others and, using the words of Bishop Robert Barron, "step out of our own egodrama to become active participants in His theodrama."  This is where Heaven meets Earth, and this is where I believe we will find true joy and fulfillment.