Monday, April 4, 2005
POPE'S DEATH IMPACTS GUESTS AT
HOMELESS SHELTER
By Jeremy Reynalds
 ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (ANS) -- Among his many other
accomplishments, Pope John Paul II was known as a champion of the needy
and the homeless. (Pictured: Pope John
Paul II - through Vatican).
In a 1997
message (www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/JP97LENT.htm)
he spoke about the Christian’s duty to help the homeless, saying, “In
the Old Testament, the Torah teaches that strangers and the homeless in
general, inasmuch as they are exposed to all sorts of dangers, deserve
special concern from the believer. Indeed, God clearly and repeatedly
recommends hospitality and generosity toward the stranger (cf. Dt.
24:17-18, 10:18-19; Nm. 15:15, etc.), reminding Israel of how
precarious its own existence had once been. Later, Jesus identified
himself with the homeless (saying), ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed
me’ (Mt. 25-35), and taught that charity toward those in this situation
will be rewarded in heaven.”
When asked if
they felt personally impacted by the Pope’s death, some guests at Joy
Junction (www.joyjunction.org)
said they were both touched by what he had done for the disenfranchised
as well as the man in general.
One guest said,
“I am both sad and happy; sad that such a great man is gone, but happy
that he is no longer suffering. I don't think that anyone can replace
him. He visited places where no one else wanted to go – just to help.
He went to the poorest of poor. He was a very forgiving person.”
Another
individual called the Pope’s death “a great loss.” He said, “The man
suffered a long time, and he will be greatly missed for his
humanitarian deeds. He did more for the downtrodden, the homeless and
the third world that any other Pope in recent history that I can
remember.”
One person
commented, “His death meant the end of an original - a legend. His work
for the needy was amazing. He was from the old school and I really
believe he knew what he was doing all of the time.”
Another person
living at Joy Junction said the Pope had a very positive influence on
young people. He said, “My mother was involved with the gathering of
youth in Denver and she spoke of it until the day she passed herself.
She cherished the experience. I'm not Catholic but ... I am concerned.
I worried how the choice of the new pope to be called is going to
affect the world. I pray they ... will accept him in a positive way.”
He added,
“Although (I’m) sad for the people who mourn him, I'm happy for him.
Being a disciple of God, he will join our heavenly Father and for that
reason he is far better off.”
A husband and
wife staying at Joy Junction agreed. They said, “He was a great man and
did many great things...especially touching young peoples’ hearts and
minds about God. He loved all people and we loved him. He will be
missed, and ... remembered for his great love of God and his
leadership.”
One guest
shelter recalled meeting the Pope. He said, “I was part of a US
Military Liaison to the Vatican ... The Pope came by an alcove where I
was sitting. We had a brief conversation. I was struck by the quiet,
yet angry power in the man. I consider myself blessed to have met him.”
Another guest
added, “I am not a Catholic, but I and the world are saddened by the
loss of such a good man. He did work very hard to keep the peace, and
also apologized many times for the way the Jews were treated in World
War II. The Catholic priests have a lot of bad spots on their records.
But the Pope, in my opinion, was a very good man who cared for more
than just his followers. He cared deeply for the whole world.”
Also not a
Catholic, another person added, “I love the things he said and it's a
sad thing to hear that he had passed. The words of wisdom will be
missed, but now he is with the Lord in His Kingdom. He will live on
through his words and kindness.”
One person said
that in spite of the sadness, there is nonetheless an upside to the
Pope’s death. “While it's very sad that he passed ... I feel he
finished his purpose here. So I’m happy he went home to rest.”
| Jeremy Reynalds is a
freelance writer and the founder and director of Joy Junction, New
Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, http://www.joyjunction.org or http://www.christianity.com/joyjunction.
He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New
Mexico and is a candidate for the Ph.D. in intercultural education at
Biola University in Los Angeles. He is married with five children and
lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For more information contact: Jeremy
Reynalds at jgreynalds@aol.com.
Tel: (505) 877-6967 or (505) 400-7145. Note: A black and white JPEG
picture of Jeremy Reynalds is available on request from Dan Wooding at danjuma1@aol.com. |
 |
ASSIST News Service (ANS) www.assistnews.net
-- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
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