Offering hope

 The Pope is here and it is all I seem to hear about. It is a big event to be sure. Whether you are of the Catholic faith or not, his presence can be felt. A world leader. What surprises me, just a bit, are the negative comments I hear on social media and in the general public. There are those that are complaining that he is not Gods' representative or is anyone special. I'm not a Catholic myself but have a great deal of respect for his office. I do not understand why those that would disparage the Pope are also the ones that would stand in line for hours to see a rock star ! If I adopted their way of thinking both are merely people, like you and I. Yes, they are, I realize that but it is the office we should respect. Any one that has ever served in the military knows that, you respect the uniform and the office , not the individual. Perhaps it is just that I was raise differently but I do feel like talking bad about the Pope won't sit well with Jesus. I mean, the Pope is at the very least spreading the word. I don't think anyone could argue with that. The fact that the Catholic church has amassed great wealth doesn't negate that fact. Their are plenty of televangelists' that pocketed a ton of cash too. I may not agree with their methods either but will not disparage their work until I see proof to the contrary. The fact that I have does not condemn all televangelists' efforts. If the Pope can offer hope, for even just one person, his trip to the United States will have been worth the effort. And isn't that what the Pope is suppose to do, offer hope ?

 Would it be an honor to meet him ? On a personal level I would say, yes. Would I travel any distance, stand in any line, or wait hours just to glimpse him ? No, I wouldn't. I wouldn't do that for any person of celebrity either. I realize they are just people after all. That isn't an indicator of my measure of respect or admiration for the Pope or the accomplishments of any celebrity. I just don't see any benefit from doing so, in either case. I do wonder why anyone would want to speak ill of the Pope. Rock stars, rappers, and other entertainers I can understand, there are a lot of them I don't agree with. The Pope however carries a bit of a different message. That is not to say I agree with everything he says, but I agree with the basic message. Bottom line for me is, I don't believe you should be talking bad about the Pope ! Just doesn't seem right. Call me old fashioned, call me what you will, but I am not risking it. I can sum it up in one sentence. He is the Pope.