Context: Francis Fever (Ep. 1504)

LORNA’S WRAP

I loved watching Molly learn from New Yorkers why the visit of Pope Francis caught the public’s imagination as it did. This is the first time in my faith history that there has been so many open arms of Protestants receiving a Pope’s wisdom.
The Catholic writer, Father Dwight Longenecker, even calls Billy Graham and Pope Francis “brother evangelists.”
Pope Francis, he says, recognizes the “two fold action required for the encounter of faith. The first step is to say, “I am a sinner.”
The second step is to acknowledge that Jesus is “the Son of the Living God.”
Too often people associate the word “sin” and “sinner” with doom and gloom, darkness, guilt and low self esteem. However, admitting that one is a sinner is not a step into dark bondage, but a step into the light of liberation. To say, “I am a sinner” is simply to admit that I don’t have all the answers.”
Pope Francis turns many of our hearts to God in a new way. I’m delighted his telling of the eternal truth about Christ is being heard across all our differences, we are really one family under God.