Pope Francis Almost Had Me

David Griffey with some thoughts on Francis's Twitter feed.

From Daffey Thoughts

By David Griffey

Until the end of the Twitter post:

Yep. The pastor's lament. Getting people to give their all, or at least their best, or at least their better than the least. Often it is better than nothing. The old worn out television instead of a new one. Just enough to cross off the donations list. A used this or dilapidated that. Sometimes it gets even worse.

Some years ago when we were on the edge of collapse, our priest found a couple who said they would donate their car to us. That was wonderful. They made us sign a waver saying we took it as is, which was odd. But we were desperate. Two years and about $4,000.00 in repairs later, we figured out why. It was a lemon they pawned off on us, while getting to declare it as a charitable gift on their taxes.

That's what Pope Francis is no doubt looking at, and I give him thumbs up. I, too, can fall into the pit of giving a cup of cold water, but leaving it at that. After all, we are called to do nothing less than pick up our cross and follow Jesus, so giving from the best of the fold, rather than the lame and crippled of the flock, is the right thing to do.

But then he ends it with God, asking us for enthusiasm in life? It's as if he had to leave and let Oprah Winfrey step in and finish his thought. There's nothing wrong with living life to the full, as that is something God wants us to realize about this gift that is life itself.

But that's not 'what God asks.' Apart from loving God above all things, He asks that we give the cloak also, that we walk the extra mile, that we forgive those who persecute us, that we cloth the naked, feed the hungry, and bear testimony to the truth even before a hostile magistrate. In short, as Bonhoeffer demonstrated by living it, when God calls us he bids us come and die.

That's the message. Not something about enthusiasm for life that I'd get watching The View or the Rachael Ray Show in the morning. What is it with Pope Francis? I don't hate the man. There are things he says I think need said. But he inevitably stops short just when it seems he's about to cast a Gospel net over the world and acts like he's bucking for a table at the next Oscars ceremony instead.