[This was first posted on March 19, 2013 . . . Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis, a most disarming candidate ever to ascend the Vatican throne. Why are we resurrecting this article? Because it is still relevant over a year later, and because Pope Francis is invading the home country of Sinai 6000 soon. Catholic/Evangelical/Muti-religious/intersecting of all faith expressions—the Philippines. Already the preparations are all over media. So, since it’s the season of revisits, reposts and reruns, here’s another one.—Admin1.]
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Day after day, night after night for over a week now, all media directs world attention to the ‘flavor of the month’ newsmaker, the election of the new pope in Vatican Rome. So much pageantry befitting the welcoming of kings and monarchs of old, such a spectacle of centuries-old church traditions, all delivered in ‘real time’, much like the coverage of the—hohum, wish they’d spare us — British Royal Family’s every petty move.
For sure media will exploit awakened world interest, for it appears parts of the world are indeed interested, regardless of religious persuasion; the coverage is “in your face” whether you’re watching world news or local news. No detail is spared and whether we like it or not, we do get educated in the inside-Vatican goings-on and get to know the man who will wear all the recognizable trappings— the “red shoes”, fisherman’s hat, the staff.
Adoring and excited faces of the faithful are splashed on-screen; such adulation, devotion and sacrifice just to catch a glimpse of the successor to the papal throne which was so suddenly and unexpectedly vacated, not because of death but because of a responsible and conscious decision of the former pope who deemed himself no longer capable to lead his Church in these times of serious and scandalous falling from grace of its shepherds. He made a laudable, bold and untraditional decision, this ex-Pope.
And if the pomp and pageantry and traditions of this Vatican state and its spokesman for God as “Vicar of Christ” does not overwhelm, the life choices of the man inhabiting the papacy for this day and time are, for a change, a welcome change indeed. Starting with his name-choice, his disarming approach toward the popolaccio, his being Jesuit (lots of connotations on that alone)—hopefully, he can and will instigate long overdue reforms in the Catholic Church which has lost many of its flock, according to statistics, to evangelical competitor religions.
But is faith in “God” really about numbers? For churches that need support from its Sunday collections and tithing, numbers do count. The trend we see in Christian churches/congregations has been disturbing, where wealthy church leaders travel in private jets and live like Hollywood celebrities. Worship is spectacular and entertaining. The Church is in the world and beginning to look like it is ‘of the world’ as well. But let us not generalize, there are many unknown true servants of the Christian faith sincerely desiring only to claim souls for their Savior.
Look for “God” in all these earthly ‘sanctuaries’, do you see Him? Or do you see His image in the men ‘of the cloth’ representing Him? When the faces of the crowds were featured on-screen as they waited for the ‘chosen’ to appear on the Pope’s balcony, did you note their desire to see “God” . . . or was all the excitement about one of His religious representatives on earth? Is it even YHWH the crowds were seeking? No, it’s Jesus they see in the “Vicar of Christ”, just by that very title. And besides, few if any realize that YHWH does not appear in ‘human form’ despite forced interpretations of Old Testament texts.
So where is the True Elohim YHWH of the Hebrew Scriptures amidst all this religious fervor sometimes bordering on hysteria? All but forgotten. You see, He’s the wrongly perceived “angry and vengeful Old Testament God”. He supposedly changed into the reconfigurated image of the all too ‘human loving and kind’ New Testament God, or one of the Three-in-One.
Get to know the One True God and find out for yourself if that claim is true. He is easy to get to know in His self-revelation, His declarations about Himself are all over the Tanach/Tanakh. Check Him out, you will be greatly blessed if you do; don’t just trust our word for it.
His promise originally addressed to Israel is in Jeremiah 29:13:
29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
29:14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD:
—- but since He is the God of all peoples, surely He intends the such a universal message for any earnest seeker regardless of one’s religious persuasion or ethnicity.
NSB@S6K
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