By Jerry Burke
When I sit down to write this column, I usually have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to talk about. I usually want to keep it topical, looking for issues that affect the people in these communities as well as the country and world at large.
Sometimes it's easy. The world usually provides me with a plethora of outrages, injustices and oversights to rally against, as well as a number of causes and people we can all rally behind in some manner.
I've learned in my limited time on this planet that nothing is ever black and white, that each side of the issue has its pros and cons. And while my take on an issue may be outside the "mainstream," I have been taught by a multitude of writers and philosophers before me that not speaking out is often much more damaging than staying silent.
One such philosopher died over the weekend. The only pope I can remember, John Paul II, met death with the same courage and conviction with which he faced life.
With apparently nothing else happening in the world (I fully acknowledge that this is a huge story, but once we question every priest and professor about John Paul II's impact, will we go back and review the stories we missed?), the death watch and subsequent funeral watch will give way to the mysterious search for a new leader of the Catholic faith. But before we go there, I'll throw my two cents into the mix.
He was one of a kind. I, and many American Catholics, did not see eye to eye with his unyielding translation of the dogma, especially in the realm of birth control. Some say he was out of touch, but I disagree. He was a scholar who painstakingly came to his conclusions after much study and prayer. Disagree with him though you might, at least he believed the words he spoke and wrote, which is a lot better than most of the leaders you'll come across in your lifetime.
He was a man of conviction and, in shocking contrast to most who come to great power, unbiased love. Even when he was admonishing opposing viewpoints, he would turn to those who held them and give them a hug. He obtained what all those Sunday school teachers told me was the ultimate goal in life: to be like Christ in thought and action.
Oh, he was human. He made his mistakes, but had the guts to be humble whether right or wrong. He believed in people, not governments. John Paul II was above all a man of great faith and great compassion.
So you may be wondering why these words are coming from the pen of a man who has many times stated his disdain for rigid Catholic dogma in his own life, who has repeatedly bashed them for they way they handled the sex scandals and their inability to get with the 21st century program. Heck, I'm wondering that myself.
But John Paul's legacy went beyond matters of religion. His 26-year reign as pontiff was remarkable in ways too numerous to list here. He was, as the Jewish people might say, a true mensch. His voice will be sorely missed, and we can only hope that his successor is half as thoughtful and wise.
