One of my only memories of seeing John Paul II was at World Youth Day in Toronto. At that point, he was well past his prime and his speech was quite labored. The crowd yelled loudly at every little sentence. He announced one evening, “The Pope is old now!” And the cries of “NO!” rang loudly through the air, even though it was obvious that the Pope was old indeed.
The theme of that year’s World Youth Day was “You are salt of the earth and light of the world.” Both salt and light are obvious tastes and sights. Salt preserves and light makes clear. Perhaps that was exactly what we hoped for during those days in Toronto. We wanted our Pope, for some of us, the only Pope we knew, or certainly the only one we knew well to be preserved. The Pope’s wishes however, is that we would see things as they are. To see him in all his feebleness. To watch his struggle and to see the value of a human life that would struggle for the youth of the world. Whether or not one agrees with John Paul II’s administrative policies as Pope, I think we might all be able to agree that his presence amongst the people of the world was quite gracious and astounding. It was a simple ministry of presence that said “The Pope has time for you.”
In a world that seems all too fast, where nobody has enough hours in their day to do all they hope to do at times, perhaps the Pope’s choice to be present often is a good lesson that he has left us with. His salty presence, chanting along with the youth of the world and stomping his feet on stages brought loads of people a bit closer to the church. This Pope as Rock Star mentality gave light to the world, the light that said I will give you as much as I can.
A taste of our presence is often enough for those who we minister to, or for those who simply crave company. We all know what it’s like to be lonely or separated from those we love. The light that we can shine to others to see the beauty in their lives is all we really need to do.
While World Youth Day is a large peak experience for many, aren’t the big moments of our lives comprised of moments where someone was simply there for us. That special teacher that took an extra moment, the coach who gave you a chance, that time someone forgave us, or the day a friend or family member comforted us over the death of a loved one.
Presence is what gives all people life. Jesus knew that well. So well that he gave us His presence here each week in a tangible way. May our presence here with each other be simply that: presence. Might we think about how we are present to those around us in this community of worship? Do they even know our names? We all need salt and life from one another–do we dare give our presence to those who need us?