The Passing...

I remember back in 1993 all of the fuss about his arrival to Denver.. The preparations that went into the week-long conference were *intense*.. The security.. The venues.. The excitement.. The fear.. The energy..

I didn't go..

But I marveled in the seemingly gentle nature of a man that minded no clock, touched whoever's hand he wanted, and be as carefree and easy going as a gentle whisper of a breeze..

The poise.. The grandeur.. The careful nature of his being.. The vulnerability.. The sage.. The intensity of what he represented..

The leader of one of the largest religions today..

In reflecting on what to say in this entry -- I considered a number of avenues.. I see a man who almost single handedly guided mankind to the dedicated Path - true to the Bible.. I also see a man who was so heavily rooted in his beliefs that anything that created one inconsistent doctrine after another..

I respect the man who lived for the common good and did everything in his power to spread that common good.. Even if I disagreed with many of his views, I admire the man who endured several hardships, scandals and unpopular opinions that would be a divisive wedge in many communities and across the world..

I realize that many look to the Bible and to the Pope as centers of reason.. A moralistic compass in the chaos of the world.. He may have been that - but most of his followers are not.. As what was brought out during the Bill Maher show recently - I find it problematic that followers can "pick and choose" what they want, when it suits their purpose.. O'Reily's attachment of the Christian Dogmas only reinforced the problem with religion today - that we can arbitrarily pick and choose -- for the convenience of what will apply to our lives..

I believe the Pope did what he thought was right.. He stood by his convictions.. Relied upon his understanding of the religious tenets that guided him for the 84 years of his life..

Those who looked up to him as their spiritual leader - will feel his loss.. We'll discover in the coming years, exactly how well he threaded the various religious segments together as one continuous quilt..

I cannot jump on the bandwagon that points fingers at the Pope's political/social beliefs.. His job is an incredibly demanding one.. While it's my ultimate choice to subscribe to those beliefs, it shouldn't be reflective of the man who fought valiantly on the side of man.. He treated every soul as sacred.. He was adamant about the death penalty as much as he was impassioned about the right to life..

I may not subscribe to all of his beliefs or ways of thinking, but I can admire the morality this guy had inside -- and how articulate, how persuasive and how passionate he was about humanity..

Pope John Paul II will be missed..