He's Found That Lovin' Feeling

I'm probably not the only person in the world who automatically thinks of the movie Top Gun whenever I hear the song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling." I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I automatically have the picture in my mind of Maverick and Goose and all the other navy pilots joining in singing the song in an effort to help Mav, a.k.a. Tom Cruise, put the moves on Charlie Blackwood, whom he learns the next day holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics and is serving as an instructor at the Naval Fighter Weapons School known as Top Gun. Despite his best attempts to win the affections of the beautiful Dr. Blackwood, young Maverick finds himself rejected and alone in the women's restroom ... still looking quite handsome and dapper in his white naval uniform, but rejected and alone nonetheless.

It's long been known that there is a power that exists within an image captured on film, a power that far exceeds that of the written or spoken word ... hence the old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words" still holds true today. As I was researching the origin of that phrase ... it dates back to the early 20th century, by the way ... I ran across an addition to the original statement that really spoke to me in a big way.

"A picture is worth a thousand words, but a truly remarkable picture that captures the reality of human existence takes your breath away and leaves you speechless."

As I thought about what types of pictures would fit into that definition ... the definition that would qualify them as truly remarkable images of human existence ... I realized that those pictures are the ones that have been seared into my memory and branded onto my heart. Those pictures are the ones that have caused me to weep ... those are the ones that have touched the very core of my being ... those are the ones that have made me long to be a better person ... to care more, to love more, to do more. Even though I don't know the people in those pictures, they have become a part of me ... they have changed me because of their humanity, because of their existence, because of who they are. The people in the pictures that capture the reality of human existence take my breath away and leave me speechless for one reason and one reason only ... because they are real.

Unless you live under a rock, I'm sure you saw the pictures of Pope Francis that spread like wildfire across most of the worldwide media outlets yesterday. And I'm just as sure that there are probably thousands upon thousands of pictures of the Pope that were taken prior to the ones that surfaced yesterday ... thousands of pictures that most of us never even glanced at when they popped up in our newsfeeds. But the minute I saw the pictures yesterday ... they took my breath away ... they left me speechless ... they caused tears to course down my face. I'm not Catholic, and to be honest, I've never quite understood the role of the Pope in the Catholic church ... no offense meant in any way to those of you who are Catholic, by the way ... I was raised Protestant, and there's no equivalent to the Pope in my faith, no one man who is the head of the church whom everyone looks up to and reveres the way they do the Pope. You know what, though? It doesn't matter at all what I understand or don't understand about the fellow who is the leader of the Catholic church ... the pictures yesterday of that particular man in the white robes and the man he touched rocked the entire world. And those pictures rocked the entire world for one reason and one reason only ... because of the unmitigated honesty and realness of the people in them.

From everything I've read about the encounter that was captured through the camera lens between Pope Francis and the severely disfigured man who approached him to ask for prayer, the story is authentic, the man is real, and the Pope's response to him was immediate and unplanned. To a man that most people would consider hideous, frightening and perhaps even dangerous, Pope Francis offered up a prayer and a blessing. He embraced the man ... the Pope ... the leader of the Catholic church placed his hand on the boils that covered the man's face, pulled him close to his chest and kissed his forehead. I choose to believe that in that moment ... the moment when Pope Francis looked up and saw the man as he made his way to him ... I choose to believe that there was no thought given to cameras or media or anything other than reaching out to a man who must certainly be weary and worn from the trials and tribulations of life. I choose to believe that in that moment there was no Pope and no crowd of people watching ... I choose to believe that in that moment there was simply compassion and mercy and grace extended from one human soul to another ... I choose to believe that in that moment there was the love of God flowing from the hearts of two men on very different journeys in life ... I choose to believe that in that moment the world saw the true meaning of kindness and the incredible power of a simple touch.

I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get the pictures of Pope Francis and the ailing man out of my mind for a long time, and more important, I hope I never get them out of my heart. I've thought and thought and thought about the man, and I am certain that some of those thoughts will continue to haunt me ... perhaps they will haunt me forever. I wonder how long it's been since someone touched the man's face, dried his tears, held his hand ... I wonder. I wonder if he lives alone, if he stays hidden away from others, if he is ashamed of his appearance, if he is afraid for what lies ahead. I wonder how he found the courage to walk among the crowd and make his way to the Pope. I wonder if he knows that in doing so ... in being brave enough to allow the world to see him as he truly is ... I wonder if he knows how many people he has touched. I wonder if he knows how deeply he has touched me.

Every single one of us would do well to sear not just the pictures of Pope Francis touching the sick and wounded man into our minds, but to sear the truth and the meaning contained within them deeply into our hearts and souls. We would do well to learn that love, compassion, tenderness, acceptance and grace should transcend any and all boundaries we as humans place between one person and another. We would do well to practice mercy ... we would do well to demonstrate forgiveness ... we would do well to be unafraid of reaching out and touching the faces of those who are suffering ... we would do well to find that loving feeling ... that loving feeling found by a Pope and a sick man amidst the sea of humanity ... that loving feeling found when we open our hearts and embrace one another without judgment or condemnation ... we would do well to find that loving feeling ... we would do well, friends ... we would do well, friends ... we really would do well to find that loving feeling so many of us have lost.