THE VISIT I AM PREPARING FOR

It is amazing and concerning to me to watch the preparation for the Pope’s visit to the United States.  People are planning to crowd into the cities he is planning to parade through.  The cities are making security plans that will put the daily activity of people who live and work in these cities come to a stop.  Stores will be closed, public transportation will not be available, even wedding plans need to be changed for some.  Millions of dollars will be spent just so people can get a glimpse of this man.  It baffles me because most of the people making these plans pretty much disagree and even hate everything he stands for.  According to the news reports his popularity points are down, which in American seems to matter for something.

What will the Pope actually see while he is here?  Will he see the slums that many poor, hungry, and homeless people call home?  Will he hear their cries among the shouts of excitement of those deemed worthy to be allowed any where near him?  Will he hear the anger and frustration that fills these cities every day threatening to erupt into riots at the drop of a hat?  I suspect not.  Security measures will prepare a way for him that will cover up the true state of being and present a cleaned up and righteous version of life in these places.

I guess one could hope that his visit would resemble the visit of a former “man of God” and that he would come and over turn the money changer’s tables in our churches; that he would speak sobering words to this nation and the church about repentance and the consequences of rebelling against God; that he would call forth the poor, the hungry, and the homeless and give them front row seats on the parade route.  One could hope he would speak the words of his name sake, the first St. Francis, and admonish our love of money and position and call for a return to the true Gospel.  One could hope for a spirit of repentance and revival to fall upon these cities, these important cities that rule this nation and that we as a nation would call out to God for deliverance from our greed and our wrongdoing.  One could hope.

At some point in time this entire world will be visited by the true representative from God, the truly anointed King of Kings.  We don’t know the day of his arrival but we have been told to prepare for that return.  That visit will have great significance in the lives of all people.  Is preparation being made?  Are people looking forward to that time?  Are the ways being prepared?  Are the hearts of the people being prepared?

This visit will be to the weak, the poor, the lowly, and despised people in the world.  This visit will be to those who are looking to God for their very being, who have suffered and sacrificed for His name.  This visit will be for the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the persecuted, and the peacemakers.   This visit will be for those who have been watching and waiting.  This is the visit I am looking forward to.