A Pope, A Wave, and Italian Beer

A Pope, A Wave, and Italian Beer

(John 13:34)

We bivouacked in front of a tan-camouflaged, armored, military Humvee parked on Philadelphia’s City Avenue. That’s a stand alone image right there -- an intimidating military icon in a tree-lined residential neighborhood, here to protect The Pope, an iconic symbol of world peace. 

Our family and friends positioned ourselves where the police officer thought that if anywhere this might be the place where Pope Francis would see Lindsay. Or at least see Lindsay's wheelchair.

The Pope tossed a wave from the rear window of the black Fiat as it floated by, the 25 MPH motorcade making its way by us as he left his overnight residence at the seminary. 

We had left our car in the neighborhood behind St. Charles Seminary and walked 2 miles along beautiful, tree shaded streets and past expensive suburban houses. I helped Lindsay from her chair so we could climb down the train station steps, we walked along through the tunnel under the tracks, and trudged back up the other side. We found an opening in the security cage and crossed to the city side of the invisible social/racial/economic/cultural divide this street can be.

After the wave, we left by another way. 

Around the southern edge of the seminary we walked up and down hill, on sidewalk and on grass path. Stopped at a traffic light coming out of the residential neighborhood where our car awaited us behind the gated seminary, a friendly man in shirt and tie opened his car window. “Were you trying to get into the seminary?”

The tightly–held security reins wouldn’t let us very close. “Well, we got to see him in his car as he came out,” I replied.

“He’ll be back at 9:30 tonight for dinner. Tomorrow morning he leaves by helicopter to visit the prison.”

“Oh, are you working at the seminary?”

“Yup. We’re making dinner for him tonight. Right now I’m headed out to get beer.” He shrugged a smile at Lindsay and me, “What can I say? The Italians want beer!”

The light turned green and off he went on his holy grail mission. One can only pray that he found some of Philadelphia’s craft beers rather than Italian beer. Wine maybe, but they don’t do beer so well.

Yet for me, there it was, the message of this weekend in that brief encounter. This was not just about a spotlighted Pope on a pedestal with a  message of justice and dialogue and compassion which challenged political progressives and conservatives alike, but it was also a room full of his entourage with sleeves rolled up, gathered at table, eating pasta … and drinking beer.

Pope pedestal aside, the Jesus message is still shared among faithful followers gathered at table, eating, drinking, laughing, praying, planning, discerning. With the security nets down, the pageantry reduced to a whimper, and the Pope safely in Rome, can we still live the table message that Jesus left us?

“I give you a new commandment,” Jesus said at that Last Meal – maybe of pasta and beer, but certainly of laughter and prayer. "I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.” (John 13:34) 

Can’t be more clear than that table message. Seems like that’s the heart of Pope Francis’ words and actions. I pray it’s at the heart of mine.

© Copyright 2015

James F. McIntire
All rights reserved.