Making things happen
... with integrity
Monday, April 4, 2004 Volume VII Number 13
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by Ken Kemp |
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ho would have imagined scale of the global outpouring of grief over the death of Pope John Paul II? Who in the media world makes these choices? Who decides to run non-stop coverage from St. Peter’s Square on the steps of the Basilica? And how is it that all the networks follow suit? Which comes first? Do the media captains decide and then the crowds follow or is it the other way around?
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Marshall McLuhan predicted in 1968 that the global village, as he called it, would develop a life of its own. Geographical, cultural and language barriers would diminish in defining human boundaries. The web of the media would bind the world into a collective experience, a simultaneous communal encounter on an unprecedented scale. We are witnessing this as I write.
Why such a universal impact? It’s pure speculation to decipher the reasons why. The Roman Catholic Church has, for the past decade, been the subject of painful and harsh criticism. Many have wondered out loud about the church’s ability to survive in the face of such devastating set-backs. Beyond the horrific scandals of pedophile priests, there are the enduring questions of a declining priesthood, declining membership, and general sense that the “Church” is out of touch. Then there is the enormous popularity of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown’s not-so-subtle attack on Catholicism. Not to mention the mass migration of Catholics to non-denominational protestant churches springing up all over the world. It’s a pretty grim picture.
What a contrast, these images of the world in mourning over the death of Pope John Paul II. What is it, this pomp and circumstance and tradition and color and pageantry, this claim on the throne of St. Peter that arouses such pathos?
Can it be that the whole world hungers for one who models authentic spirituality? One who exhibits a vibrant and real-time walk with God? As the twilight of a life drew to a close, people will look upon this octogenarian who believes in God, one who is unafraid to confront evil, one who takes a stand for the preservation of the traditions of what is true and right, one who believes in the possibilities of a new generation armed with godliness… and see something timeless. Isn’t this what everyone seeks?
Maybe now in the remembering, in the reflecting, we all might look inward, and find that same vitality, and let the light shine bright.
Posted in Placentia, California
© Copyright Kenneth E. Kemp 2005
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