Pope John Paul II touched many with his gentle, folksy smile, achieving global superstar status. Yet he remained always humble and dutiful. He was above all else a loyal and saintly servant of the everyman in whom he saw the image of a loving Creator.
This pope lived a uniquely personal version of Christ's passion during his last years, serving as an inspiration for the oppressed, the little person, the infirm and the elderly.
While we contemplate his suffering and mourn his irreplaceable and yet unavoidable loss, we realize that the world is a much better place because of this pope's selfless ecumenical and humanitarian labors.
Pope John Paul II would remind us that there is still a lot of work left to be done on this planet. Regardless of our faith, or our lack thereof, we could all do much worse than to simply follow John Paul's loving, altruistic and compassionate example as we go about our daily business.
Jeff Thieret
Harmony
