You Can Conclave, But You Can't Hide.

I heard there was pink smoke over Vatican City.  I hope it doesn't block folk's view of Dennis Rodman who says he's going to ride in the "pope-mobile."  I wonder if Kim Jung Un will be riding shotgun.

I read that the whole smoke thing came from a time--notthat long ago, historically speaking--when the Vatican felt that it was surrounded and imprisoned by Italy.  By 1915 the black smoke, white smoke signal was in place.  I'm not sure if it's a joke, but I hear that the chimney has a twitter account.  

The pink smoke?  That came from a group of women who want the Roman Catholic Church to ordain women to the priesthood.

A couple of months ago four women lobbying for gay couple adoption drew attention to themselves by stripping from the waist up in Vatican square as Pope Benedict spoke from a balcony.

I have heard it reported a number of times that none of the Cardinals really wants to be Pope.  I doubt that, but it is clear that the next Pope will have all kinds of troubles with which to deal.  A friend recently reminded me of something I said a while back.  "People are messy."  The more people one deals with, the more mess.

While time to ones self is valuable, it is not the Lord's intention that those who minister in the church do so in isolation.  Jesus was a "man of sorrows, acquainted with grief."  He was accused by His enemies of being a "Friend of sinners."  Though the enemies didn't understand why, they were in fact right.  He was so busy with people, that at one time it was observed that He and His disciples didn't have time to eat.  Jesus hung out with hotheads like James and John, those like Peter who are subject to emotional outbursts, melancholy sorts, like Thomas, and those who, like Simon,  hold extreme political views.  That was just the beginning of messes.  Take time surveying the book of Acts and read 1 Corinthians and it is clear that our Lord intends that Christianity impact the real world.

Where so many of the protester-types go wrong is how they think the church should interface with the world.  They think that the church should change and adapt to the ideas of the world.  Yes, we should be aware, and we should know how to communicate (listen to Paul on Mars Hill for a model, of this), but we in the church address the world because we have the message they need to hear and heed.  Not the other way around.

 

In the church where I minister, smoke means a burned out amplifier or something burning in the kitchen.  Or, metaphorically, the smoke comes from the heat of the battle.  The needs are great.  The battle may be hot.  Those of us who claim to be faithful to the Word of God, need to run to the smoke, not shrink from it.

 

It's STTA.