I’m annoyed. **Warning, this may sound like a rant**

I don’t get political. It’s not that I don’t have opinions about how things should work, but in the end I find that speaking about politics can be polarizing and confrontational, I’d rather just get to know you and have a conversation, you know, like a person should. I preface with this because this is not about politics, though the rest of the world *cough* America, seems to want to make it as such, this is about being a disciple. So without further ado…

Last week Pope Francis visited the United States and Cuba, and reminded the world that the good ‘ol U.S. of A. isn’t perfect and is still in need of some guidance. (Hooray!) The press loved him, twitter loved him (mostly), Facebook loved him. In general the media loved sharing with everyone his trips to the homeless shelter, his visit to a prison, his speech in Congress…the list goes on. The man had the busiest 6 day trip and I hope he is getting some much deserved rest. Though let’s be honest he’s probably still going full speed ahead.  America had Pope Fever! I read numerous articles where people lauded his stance on immigration, his call to action for helping the poor, his prayerful and peaceful attitude, and his loving acceptance and embrace of everyone he encountered. (Read: his stance- following Jesus’ teachings).

People were shouting from the rooftops, celebrities, journalists, politicians, Catholics, Christians, agnostics, cat people, that the Pope was truly showing them what it meant to be Christlike,  to embody the love of God and share the Gospel.

Then he left, and not 3 days later everything changed. It became public knowledge that Pope Francis had a 15 minute private meeting with Kim Davis and her husband, and the American media threw a fit. My twitter was alight with journalists and celebrities alike decrying their sense of betrayal, with tweets like…”Ahhh he was doing so well…” or “I knew it was too good to be true,” littered my feed. In a matter of 3 days Pope Francis went from media darling to fallen from grace. One Twitter-er when so far as to call the Pope a bigot, I’m sorry have you not been paying attention?! He met with all sorts of people during this whirlwind visit, and you have the gall to call him a bigot because of ONE person with whom he met? BLOCKED. I have very little patience with mainstream american media because while they love a feel good story, they love to watch that person fail more. (But that is a topic for a different post).

Here’s the deal people. You said that Pope Francis embodied Christ. Showed you what compassion and love truly looked like, and yet when his meeting with Davis became public knowledge everything he said and stands for immediately gets thrown out the window? That’s not how it works people. He’s not a politician. It’s not “shady” for the meeting to have been private, he doesn’t need your approval and acceptance to meet and talk with people. If you think Christ didn’t have a conversation with a person like Kim Davis in his time, you are sorely mistaken.

Pope Francis is walking the walk, and talking the talk. He is a role model for our time, and has reminded me time and time again what forgiveness and mercy really mean in a world of cynicism and judgement. While I’m perturbed with the media, and all those people who were so quick to change their tune what I really feel is sadness, because for whatever reason, whatever joy they felt while he was here so quickly dissipated, and left them angry and hurt. I hope that those who had even momentary joy and/or personal revelation when reading or hearing what Pope Francis had to say, seek out that which made them happy, that they seek truth, seek the Gospel, and seek Jesus. Because that’s really where they will find that joy again.

So thank you Pope Francis for being a true disciple. Thank you for giving me another example of how to be a disciple. Thank you for sharing the Joy the of Gospel.

I’ll even Unblock those people on Twitter

Also if you want to smile and feel happy just Google Image search Pope Francis. It’ll make your day!

. “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.”        Mark 10:14-15