Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Pope Francis

Vasu Reddy From Chicago
vasureddy@aol.com

You don’t have to belong to a religion to appreciate the individual who is chosen to lead an entire set of people who is more than a billion on earth, and represent just about every region of the world.  Prior to following the current election of the pope, and Pope Francis beginning his tenure as the leader of the Catholic Church, I was a great admirer of John Paul II and our own mother Teresa.  Both of them were great leaders by example of their doings and teachings, and you don’t have to belong to the Catholic Church to admire their life time of contributions to humanity.   It is difficult to emulate their humanity and contributions to their fellow human beings.

Perhaps their time did not have the 24/7/365 coverage on the news and internet as it is today, and they escaped the continued scrutiny of the networks and every available channel to find something or the other to point to the human frailties (if any) of a person being placed in a position of great responsibility.  By no means needs a man of god is to be scrutinized as an elected politician, but the media somehow manages to find some excuse or the other to come-up with instances of political positions that a long life would have taken as the circumstances might have demanded as such.

First and foremost the new pope is a man of the people and the first few days after his election as the pope has demonstrated his simplicity and affability to his new position as the leader of a global set of people.  I really like the two things he did immediately following his new role; him paying his bills for the hotel he stayed, and going out into the people and greeting them personally.

In a life time of serving the people and specially the poor in a country that has had its volatility politically and otherwise, Pope Francis has lived an exemplary life of human service and caring.  Every word you hear about the man is that or doing god’s work and the simplicity that he has represented all his life.  Politics and power play really doesn’t have any influence on human service, and by every measure he has practiced the philosophy of caring, and well deserves to be the leader of the major religion he practices.  By following just the last few days of his actions, one is reminded of India’s mother Teresa, and her lifelong commitment to helping the needy.

A human being only needs so much to survive and live, but how well the life is spent in responding to the needs of others around the person make a great life even greater with its simplicity and giving.  For Indians Mahatma Gandhi continues to represent a great soul who exemplified the simplicity of life and the greatness of cause, all combined into a tiny frame.  There are many examples of great men and woman representing the humanity by simply leading life by example of human service, and if so in their exemplary life they had to take specific positions to continue their service to mankind, it was done only to serve their purpose of service rather than self benefit.  Even the greatest of human beings are required to meet the demands of circumstances as it is simply human to survive the environment and do the good they can, rather than perish to the circumstances.

There are great stories that have been told again and again for humaneness and brotherhood, and how many of great souls did the service to humanity without any motives.  As great souls will continue to be in every generation and they will continue to do god’s work as if they are the messengers of god.  You don’t have to belong to any religion to appreciate the value of their contributions to promote kindness.

No comments:

Cinema and its Magic

Vasu Reddy from Chicago vasureddy@aol.com   While in my college days in India, there was no internet, not much television except single chan...