I Was Thinking... Grace & Mercy

Easter is always one of my favorite times of the year. However, this year other things occurred that made it even more memorable.
Our church presented a “stations of the cross” service for Good Friday where congregation members portrayed the last hours of Jesus’s life. It was a moving experience full of symbolism and meaning. On Easter, the sounds of the trumpet and organ accompanying the congregation singing, “Crown Him with Many Crowns” was so uplifting after the dark and gloom of Good Friday. Then on Easter Monday, word came that Pope Francis had died, just one day after delivering his Easter message. Altogether, all these events had a strong message during troubling times.
A theme seemed to develop from the services as well as the reviewal of Pope Francis’s life and tenure as Pope. Humility, mercy, and forgiveness seemed to trump power, success and control.
The Good Friday service no longer showed Jesus as the triumphant king coming into Jerusalem to the praises of the multitude. Yet even during his celebratory arrival, he did it on the back of a humble donkey. He did not lead a possession of warriors clad in armor and brisling with weapons mounted on a great stallion.
Similarly, Pope Francis, despite being the most powerful leader of the Catholic Church, shunned pomp and circumstance as much as he could. Instead of staying in the lavish almost royal residence of past popes, he lived in simpler quarters. In 2017, Pope Francis received a custom Lamborghini Huracán, painted in white and gold to reflect the Vatican flag.
He blessed and signed the car before it was auctioned in May 2018, fetching nearly $1 million for charities. Both Jesus and Pope Francis addressed thousands of followers with messages of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Neither stood before the masses to demonstrate their power in an effort to receive accolades or to inflate their egos.
They both exhibited a concern and acceptance of the weak and the poor. Although Pope Francis met and conversed with some of the most powerful people in the world, he generally viewed himself as a pastor to the people.
Both he and Jesus demonstrated their love for children and those many times considered outcasts by “successful” society. While the followers of both at times tried to shield their leader from the distraction of small children, Jesus and the Pope embraced these innocent ones. Unlike today, neither of these great leaders surrounded themselves with the rich and powerful.
In many areas of business and politics alike, you get ahead by defeating those opposed to you. Your need to obtain power may come at the expense of others. If you can drive a competitor out of business, the better it will be for your bottom line.
If laying off workers, cutting budgets, or replacing workers with machines increases profits, it’s good business. If accusations, inuendoes, and rumors can take away votes from your opponent, it is just part of the game. The need to succeed surpasses the concerns for others.
The Good Friday scenario showed a defeated and weak Jesus. He appeared powerless in front of those who jeered him. He had been both mocked and beaten. Those in power viewed him as a threat to their authority. No one was really concerned with truth or justice if those in power could remain there.
Jesus had been shuttled from leader to leader because no one wanted to be blamed or take responsibility for his death. Hatred and violence became the methods to eliminate a perceived threat to those in power.
Unfortunately, today some still feel striking back at anyone or anything that opposes you is the course of action to take.
But ultimately Jesus and Pope Francis both were victorious. They are remembered most for the love, compassion, mercy and grace they extended to all. They especially were concerned for the weak, powerless and those labeled outcasts. Our society could learn a lot from their examples.
Did You Ever Wonder? — When all is said and done, is usually more said than done?