Anne Lastman
The Holy Father’s comment that “all are paths that lead to God” as he was speaking with young people at a meeting in Singapore during an interfaith dialogue His comments were to share with them a knowledge of God and his love and mercy for all but in a way which encouraged them to be a way, a peace, and honour of life.
With that comment by a cabal of armchair modern theologians who always know much more and better than Peter, came out in droves to accuse him of syncretism, heresy, promoting heresy being himself a heretic. The same tribe who has set out from the beginning of his pontificate to assassinate him with words.
The above quotation is perhaps one of the most beautiful comments made by recent Popes. A pope who has gone out in search of the lost sheep and bring them home irrespective whether by boat, canoe, ship, train, buses and cars. He wants them on his barque.
The angry radical trads will not tolerate anything this Pope says or writes. For them there is always a heresy within his comments.
I write this choosing not to quote Early Church fathers, modern theologians, and I choose this way purposely. I choose to write as a modern woman who has a great love for the Church and for Peter. I have a strong belief that Peter is guided by the Holy Spirit as promised by Jesus himself and after many years of study of Old Testament and New Testament I have come to the point of saying “yes Lord you are our way” The road you have mapped out for us is the true way which gives life.
This latest quote by the holy father Peter “all paths lead to God” has so much beauty in it. It speaks to all. It calls all to the barque called “Jesus”, but in the way and truth which they have been born into. His Holiness does not say to the young whom he was speaking to you’ve been taught wrong our way is the right one, but to all who would listen and hear him he spoke words of encouragement to continue their walk. He spoke the words “I am the way the truth and the life” (Jesus Jn 14:6) He interpreted and expanded these words of the Lord so as to be understood by the listeners and to encourage them without speaking down to them or making them feel that he is right, and they are wrong in their beliefs. And saying that their life and beliefs have been lived in error and that their life journey has been all wrong.
He spoke in the gentle manner which the one whom he serves (Jesus) would have spoken in front of his followers in Galilee and surrounds. He spoke to all who were listening. He (Jesus) never asked what religion they observed but gently to his selected ones (apostles-Pope Francis he would say “come follow me”) These he had a task for them to do on his behalf. Jesus led by the manner of how he lived his life. He loved, fed, healed, taught, and showed a road possible to walk.The Holy father Pope Francis has also in the midst of persecution also fed, healed with his kindness, taught/teaches where ever he goes. Not necessarily with words but with manner and showed the way his truth and belief in Jesus has led him to them. The Holy father’s above mentioned so called comment, (all are paths that lead to God) spoke to where the listeners were (this time in Singapore) and if the armchair critics sitting in their chrome and glass ivory towers would have understood his meaning and not attempt to again humiliate and demean him with their false interpretations and doubt causing written words, they would have brought no confusion but a beauty and clarification of the words of Jesus the one that they profess to follow. They would have brought to our world honour towards Peter, and respect for all on their journey home.
Jesus himself said that he is “the way, the truth and the life and no man comes to the Father but by me” (Jn 14:6) No man, woman child, arrives to the Father except through Him. Every human being born must seek to follow the path Jesus set out, through him, that is by a way of truth, of life and love. And He gave the means to achieve these in the place where they are set to be born and live and learn in the manner which and how they know.
Jesus is the way, and those following a way to the father may take a different road than others but still reach the destination. My destination maybe Rome and my way may be via, Singapore. Another may also have the destination Rome but the way maybe via Germany, and another has same destination but way of France, Another via the way of Spain etc. The destination is the same (Rome) but different roads, routes, ways taken. And along the way different languages are spoken but interpretations and understandings are the same. However, the final destination is the same, Rome. I am the way (Jeus) and all walking that journey in a manner of love, mercy compassion, reach (Jesus). All truth is understood as truth. Not doctored truth as we see with the armchair theologians but true soul truth, a truth written on hearts (I have written my law, truth on their hearts, they are my people, and I am their God (Jer: 31:31-33) Via the path of Jesus who is Truth.
I am the Life as foremost (Jn 14:6) and all who have life and journey towards Jesus, walk the way of life. All those who honour these understandings and beautiful fulfilling words honour all his words and his being the entry gate to the father. In our day we do not honour life. Abortions, euthanasia, intentional deaths, wars, all manner of death and yet we are called to honour life. We are called to truth yet when we hear it don’t recognize it but distort it. We are called to Life, yet we destroy life ad nauseum. Instead, we follow a way which leads away from Way, Truth, Life.
I’m reminded of Buddhism a faith which honors all life, indeed any living thing/creation. Those who walk this journey choose to honour life (as foremost) and head towards Jesus honoring that belief, Jesus who is life. All the different roads when walked well and how they should be walked lead to Jesus and the Father fulfilling the words of the promise “I have placed my laws on their hearts, they are my people and I am their God (Jer.31:32-33) and Jesus words “I am the way the truth and the Life and no one comes to the father except through me” (Jn 14:6) and a further commandment by Jesus “a new command I give you that you love one another “A new commandment I give you that you love one another as I have loved you.(Jn 13:34)
Walking along this journey of life and belief, the individual arrives to Jesus. He cannot reach anywhere else but to Jesus who will lead to the Father. Wherever a faith or even no faith but a goodness written on the heart is to be found and a life of mercy and real love has been lived the path still leads to Jesus and Jesus reads that life and its journey because Jesus who knows the ways welcomes man because this journey through its many twists and turns has led to him .
The Holy father did not demonize the faith of those listening to him but explained that to live in love and mercy is to love life with each life and its many roads, with different languages spoken but have the same meaning. True love is love in all languages. Mercy and compassion is mercy, and compassion is mercy and compassion in all languages. Truth is truth in all languages and when these are lived then all these languages and roads lead to the one destination, Jesus.
The Holy father did not in any way diminish faith in Jesus, the final destination and the resultant faith in in him and his divinity, His humanity and Godhood, because the Holy Father knows and understands the words that Jesus himself spoke (I am the way the truth and the life and no man comes to the father except through me). The holy father simply spoke of the different roads, the different languages, the different ways of praying which honour way, truth, and life, because these honour the words Jesus spoke then their journey has led to him.
Our modern theologians and critics egoists, sitting in ivory towers colluding and repeating past words as all truth, no modern understanding is possible. There must be someone to hang their supposed superiority on and so in like-minded company do lucifer’s bidding and quite successfully too because of these they lead souls away from the teachings by Peter.
Our Scriptures are beautiful, holy, instructive, companions on our journey. They give us life, they give us truth of the meaning of life and joy which is life, and in all joy, of knowing God the Lord and giver of life and along the journey He gives us men who can understand his words and interpret his word and share his word. In Peter (Pope Francis) we have such a person.
I would like to conclude with an event which occurred in my life over thirty years ago. At university I was studying religious studies (comparative religion) and as part of that I had to study not only Christianity, but Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and as an elective I studied Baha’i. As those who know me, know that I am a non-stop talker, at time irritating, and so I seem to make friends. During the second semester I decided to invite some of my lecturers and those married wives to dinner at my home. All said yes.
I had at table, Jewish, Catholic (me) Buddhist, Hindu, Islam, (no Bahai) available. I warned everyone that my cooking wasn’t fantastic (still isn’t) but the wine is. And so all came. I cooked spaghetti and meatballs, schnitzels, baked fish, and a crème and biscotti for dessert. Nothing to boast about but the thing that I may boast a little about is that all of us had a wonderful time. Not one person began talking about their religion, each was respectful of the other, very gracious to host and hostess (me Catholic and husband Jewish) and very complimentary about food.
But I share this because the holy Father’s talk to the young in Singapore about the paths to God reminded me of those dinners and that all human beings are the same but each of my guests were following a path in which they were born into. It was each of their family’s knowledge and belief that they learned as they grew. There was no animosity amongst any, we each studied either to strengthen our belief or even knowledge or for some future career. But the most beautiful thing was that each honored and respected each other. The paths were different, but each wanted to believe.
There are other sheep that are not of this fold. Them I must also bring. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd (Jn. 16:10).
