Video: Bash, On The Arrival Of The Pope
Let me tell you something about the Pope and I. I grew up a hippie flower kid smoking dope and drinking with my parents before I hit puberty. Their spiritual beliefs were a hodgepedge of Eastern Mysticism mixed with a little Christianity, Buddhism, Taoism, Native American Traditions, Peace, Love, Granola, and pot plants on the back porch.
Click to watch the Pope get off the plane and be greeted by the Bush Family.
My paternal grandparents were Catholics. They had two sons, my Dad, and My Uncle Harvey. Uncle Harvey became a successful architect and Jehovah’s Witness in 1970 and broke their hearts.
My Dad broke their hearts by all of his alcoholism, drug use, drug dealing ways, and eventual suicide.
But they never judged my Dad or my Uncle. They always loved them, kissed them over and over all over their faces (even grown men, LOL), smiled constantly, welcomed them into their home, showered them with love and affection and the same went into us kids. I never knew any two people who were so full of true unconditional love than my Granny and my Grandpa.
Of course, they loved the Pope. At one point in my life (some of you may see glimmers of it from time to time) because of an experience I had, Christianity became a way of life for me for 10 years. I became a minister, owned and operated a Christian book store for a few years, but then became disillusioned with the actual political bullcrap that went on behind the scenes in leadership areas of the modern day Evangelical movement, and said “Lord! I love You, but I am leaving your followers to themselves.”
Still have my faith, and my unwavering belief in Jesus, and I’m sorry if that offends anyone, especially when you hear my potty mouth sometimes, but after my experiences I cannot deny His existence and place in my life, it would be like denying that I breath air.
Back to the 90’s…I had heard a lot of different Protestant types come into my bookstore over the years railing against Roman Catholicism for being idolatrous this and anti-Pope that and I always thought these people had truly missed the point. I happen to think the Pope loves and believes in Jesus. The Jesus of the Gospels. The Jesus of the Bible.
That’s good enough for me. So, though I may not be a Catholic, I respect their customs and ceremonies as being their way to honor Jesus. Hey, anybody trying to honor Jesus as The Messiah in any way they know how is A+ #1 in my book.
I thought about my Granny and my Grandpa today. I think they probably would have liked to see the video I have posted here.
So I do this for them…the only people that I have ever known who truly loved others, including myself, unconditionally.
Kinda the way Jesus does.
Bash - (from one foul-mouthed Christian to another)
I had the same kind of Grandparents (Mom’s parents from Hungary) … and loved them more than I did my own parents.
Two observations here:
1) THE biggest “Christian” leader in the world being greeted personally by THE most powerful leader in the world … How hard a kick to the Islamic Fascist balls do you think that is?
2) Contrast THIS President and his personal greeting/welcoming, to that of a former president hugging and swapping spit with the leader of one of the world’s biggest terrorist groups …
I rest my case …
April 15th, 2008 at 1:21 pmGood read Bash!—a brother from another mother.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:37 pmdrillanwr, Good contrast.
I am on the tip over point of becoming Catholic. My wife is catholic (because my girlfriend’s a vegetarian which pretty much makes me a vegetarian) and my two youngest children are being raised catholic. The people that label it a cult and other slights, (like members of my extended family) do so in ignorance.
The fellowship and direction I have received is greater than any protestant or methodist church I have attended.
….
April 15th, 2008 at 1:38 pmA tip of the hat to what I think is the greatest Church and congregations I have ever experienced.
http://www.stmarymonroe.org/history.htm
Excellent post bash
Im a Christian too and i dont think anything will ever change that. and is the reason I wear the Infidel name with such pride. I am a non-believer of what the enemy believes in, Jesus Christ is the one and only. Not Muhammed.
My one main vice is definitely my language. I do cuss quite a bit sometimes.
As for the President going to the airport to meet pope benedict, I think its great! show Americas true colors to the world since we’re always misrepresented. The pope is always welcome here.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:45 pmSteve
Hah! I was watching Pulp Fiction last night ( I watch it at least once a year, and hence the “The Watch” post in videos) and that was Jules’ (Our man in Inglewood) line right before he ate Poor old Brad’s Kahuna Burger. heh heh…
Or did you even have the Pulp Fiction line in mind when you said your girlfriend was a vegetarian?
April 15th, 2008 at 1:52 pmSteve in NC
Welcome aboard when you finish the walk up that plank.
The “failings” of the Church have always been those of the [humans] involved in it over the times. As I have related over different threads on this site, I have had some experience(s) with such “failed” people of the Church. But that is their sin(s) to answer to when the time comes.
I’ve never seen the Pope as an extension of Jesus Christ (as we were taught he’s supposed to be) as much as an extension of St. Peter … who was very human and striving to be worthy of Christ’s trust and love … stumbling and letting Him down when He needed him the most, but standing himself up and carrying on as Christ would have expected him to.
April 15th, 2008 at 1:58 pmBash, may you be in heaven 1/2 hour before the devil knows your dead…
April 15th, 2008 at 3:31 pmBASH, ….that is one tasty burger
I dropped that line for you.
April 15th, 2008 at 3:48 pmI got to say that sent chills down my spine. It gives me a lot more hope than seeing that dumb elitist imposter of an American running for president.
Drill you are absolutely correct Bush just kicked the imams in the teeth, balls and ass at the same time without anyone seeing it and he was smiling when he did so.
April 15th, 2008 at 4:27 pmThanks for sharing that Bash. Hope you never lose those fond memories of all your family. Grandparents always seem to be the ones who enhance the memories of our youth.
April 15th, 2008 at 6:30 pmThanks Bash for posting that, as a Catholic I have to say that your grandparents were much like mine(one set devout Catholics and the other teetotaling Baptist). I can only hope to be as good someday at representing my faith as they obviously were, but I will have to see the the jihadis extinguished before I can have the unconditional thing nailed down.
April 16th, 2008 at 4:57 amThank you Bash
April 16th, 2008 at 6:48 amThanks for sharing that with us Bash
April 16th, 2008 at 8:47 pmIt is encouraging to know that others walk the same path - imperfect but touched by the love of Christ. We imperfect ones are the ones He came here for - lucky for me - my potty mouth gets me in trouble all the time
I just hope I can make more progress on the unconditional love part - as David Ross says above, this whole Islamic jihad thing is really testing the limits of my ability to love unconditionally.