April 10, 2005

Mindekirken, April 10, 2005
Pastor Jens Arne Dale

Thanks to the media, we have been able to closely follow the disease and death of Pope John Paul II. I’m not Catholic, and I have many different viewpoints than the Pope. But hour after hour with TV programs featuring the Pope’s sickness, death and funeral have made a strong impact on me.

Journalists and people who have been interviewed have spoken with great respect. The Catholic Church has lost its shepherd, the world has lost a champion of human freedom, and a good and faithful servant of God has been called home, President Bush said.

We all feel like orphans this evening, said someone who was interviewed in Rome. The Pope communicated to peoples' hearts, and in many ways he’s a good example of Jesus’ words: You shall love one another.

In today’s text we meet the Emmaus travelers. They also felt like orphans. Jesus had been crucified. They had hoped he would be the one who would establish the Kingdom of God, but their dream had been smashed. Grief and confusion were their state of mind as they walked along, talking about what had happened.

Then an unknown person joined them. He listened to their story. Then he started explaining connections in the Old Testament that they had not seen before. The Messiah had to suffer and die in order to resurrect to glory, he said.

At evening time they arrived at their place, and they persuaded the foreigner to stay with them. Then it happened. When they sat at the table and he broke the bread, they suddenly recognized that it was Jesus. And in the same second he vanished from their sight.

But did he leave them? No! We don’t see him, but the resurrected Jesus walks together with us every day on the way of our lives.

People we love may die, parents, spouses, friends, for that sake the Pope. But Jesus will never leave us. He meets us with his greeting of shalom, peace, and he follows us with his words: Do not fear!

These words, do not fear, were the motto of the Pope. Karol Wojtyla grew up in Poland which at that time was a communist country. The official ideology of the state was atheism. The authorities put obstacles in the way of the church. The Pope had to attend an underground seminary. And we may only anticipate what Jesus’ words Do not fear may have meant when the war came and the Nazis took over the government of Poland.

Reflecting on the fall of communism in the Soviet Union, it happened to quite some extent due to the spiritual power of the church and the courage of the Pope. John Paul II did not fear when he went to Cuba. He criticized Castro for persecuting the Christians. And he criticized the USA for its trade sanctions.

Inspired by Jesus' words of peace, the Pope opposed the Gulf war, NATO’s air war against Serbia, the campaign against Afghanistan and the invasion in Iraq, the entire spirit of "crusade" that animates the war on terror. It’s always difficult to judge when war will be the lesser of two evils.

Considering for instance the AIDS epidemic, it’s hard to understand why the Pope has been so strongly opposed to the use of contraceptives. On the other hand, to be a spokesman for moral and peace is important. In many places around the world, the Catholic Church has been in the front line fighting for the poor and oppressed.

In 1981 Pope John Paul II was shot in St. Peter Square, but he survived. He forgave the assailant. The pictures of the Pope in the prison cell, leaning towards the Turk extremist as if he wanted to listen to his confession, is very moving. Do not fear, not even to forgive your enemies.

We often treat other Christians with suspicion. When Henry VIII wanted to divorce his Catholic wife, the church rejected him. When Henry VIII didn’t get it what he wanted, he broke his relationship with Rome, and in that way the Anglican Church came into being. Even with this happening several centuries ago, John Paul II was the first pope to visit England.

John Paul II also reached out his hand to the Jews. When he went to Israel, he asked for forgiveness for the suffering of the Jews at the hands of Christians. To reconcile is biblical. As the first pope since Peter, John Paul II visited a synagogue. In Damask, Syria, he visited a mosque. It’s so easy to meet Muslims with fear and prejudice.

Do we see potential terrorists in whoever worships Allah? I believe the Pope’s attitude towards religious dialogue is in the spirit of Christ. It’s about respect and understanding. And I think this may go along well with a strong and clear testimony about Jesus Christ. The Pope was considered an evangelist. Word and sacrament are central to all denominations.

In the Philippines, the world’s largest crowd was gathered. More people that the entire population of Minnesota (or Norway for that matter) came to the pope’s service.

It’s human to fear being old and sick. The former mountain climber, skier and athlete was carried around or he rode in the special popemobile when his legs couldn’t carry him any longer. He gave a face to the handicapped, showing that sickness and suffering are part of human life.

From the last weeks we remember the picture of the pope who from his little window greeted the crowd in St. Peter's Square. He who once spoke eight languages fluently, was unable to speak a single word. With great effort, he lifted his arm in a simple gesture: The blessing of Christ be with you! One has to remember the words of Paul: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness, 2Cor 12.9. Do not fear even sickness and death!

None of us will have a life and a service like the Pope. But Jesus Christ is the same for all of us. He walks at our side. His grace is new every morning. To serve him and our fellow humans is our call. We don’t need to fear. Our future is in his hands.

Glory be to God, the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, one true God, now and for ever. Amen.

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