"Stories of a Generation, With Pope Francis ..."

 

Continuing along this theme of self-examination of our spiritual selves, this week, as we go into the New Year, "Stories of a Generation, With Pope Francis" has just dropped on Netflix - and I'd like to strongly encourage everyone to watch it, and feel as blessed as we did, for having watched it :) ...

Narrated by Pope Francis, several episodes tell true stories of remarkable people around the world over the age of 70 ...

... from the famous, like primatologist, Dame Jane Goodall ...

... and Academy-Award-winning, legendary filmmaker and director, Martin Scorsese ...

... to lesser-known nobles, like Vito Fiorino - who admits he didn't know how to love and be a husband and father when young - but nevertheless, from his own nearby boat, rescued 47 drowning Somalian refugees off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy - who now call him father, and whom he considers his children :)

In a beautiful and adequately expressed sentiment by Pope Francis, at the end of Episode 1 - which I'm paraphrasing, and thus won't do it justice -  Pope Francis essentially says:

"When you are mountain-climbing, and you are above someone below, who is struggling to get up to where you are, what do you do?" 

"Provided that you are on at least firm enough footing yourself, you give them a hand up."  

"If you are looking down upon them and their situation with any other thought than doing this, for another human being -  it is not morally correct, it is immoral."

Amen :)

I'm not Catholic (Evangelical-turned-agnostic-turned Episcopal)  -  but my husband is - regardless, we love the man :)

That is because Jesus said his true sheep will always hear our true master's voice and follow it (John 10:27).

If you are a self-proclaimed Christian, but you either legitimately can't hear - or choose to ignore - the voice and true spirit of Christ, in the words of people like Pope Francis, or Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, mentioned two posts below ...

... if you can't get past your own agenda, your politics, or the dogma "law" of your denomination enough to hear your master's voice, in these people - or you choose to ignore it - in favor of your chosen earthly idols, i.e. your politicians, your church dogma, or Babylonian-based Old Testament law - like the Apostle Paul sometimes did?

Then perhaps it's time to to listen more closely to others, shouting about your own rights less ...

... and instead, spend this time before the New Year as we are - in deeper spiritual self-examination, as well as finding our joy :)