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Pope John Paul II Remembered
There has been so much written about Pope John Paul II since his passing that I have been unable to absorb it all, however, there are a couple of thoughts that seem to be present in every story and every personal memory I have read or heard. Those who have know him comment on his single-mindedness and his unwillingness to be led by popular culture.
They remember him as a leader who boldly proclaimed that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that we must value life as God values life. He preached on every continent except Antarctica, traveled more than 750,000 miles and was respected by men and women from every background.
Billy Graham said, “Unquestionably, the most influential voice for morality and peace in the world during the last 100 years.� Yet, those who know him remember him as humble and approachable.
Perhaps it was the circumstances of his early life that shaped the man the world knew as Pope John Paul II. He was born Karol Wojtyla in Poland. The Nazi’s invaded Poland and make him a forced laborer. Although Communists tried to put his church and Christianity in general out of business, he and others rose above the “evil empire,� but were shaped by their experience. He once wrote, “I learned the lessens of my generation – humiliation at the hands of evil.�
I have personally spent time in ministry in Krakow and other cities in Poland. My experience with the people of the country left an indelible impression upon me as a young pastor. One that would indeed shape my own life and ministry.
From his humble beginnings, Pope John Paul II planted seeds of social justice, peace, and the Christian faith. And when introduced to a farmer in Iowa in 1979 he said, “We are all farmers.�
Indeed, indeed.
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Gary Randall
President & Chairman
Faith and Freedom Foundation
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