God has a way of dealing with us human beings. He uses the perfect time (though we think it’s the worst time ever), the right people (although we think these people are “thorns in our flesh”) and the right situation to reveal something really marvellous which we will only and often only appreciate in hindsight. It’s like the cosmos; it’s either we are too caught up with our own lives and we can’t see the bigger picture of the universe and how the galaxies are moving and the stellar planetary systems are being born and evolving or we are too focused on the big picture (looking at the cosmos) we fail to observe the beauty of a sunrise down in planet Earth!
And yet as I read through Karol’s life, I couldn’t help noticing the parallelisms that he faced as a young adult and the life that I am facing as a young adult right now. Karol’s life was marred with war and uncertainty and his only saving grace was his God. Imagine waking up everyday for years to wonder if the war was going to end – in hindsight we knew it would only be for a couple of years, but imagine yourself walking through the streets seeing such horrific images. My life today is marred with abundance and also uncertainty, but sometimes I wonder if my saving grace is also God – we are in an era where “God is dead” where faith matters very little – Karol’s uncertainties are different from mine, and although the time and place is different, the heart still asks and longs for the same peace that can only come from God.
The second thing I found similiar to both our lives were the fact on how mentors have played such influences in our lives. For Karol, He had the likes of Stefan Wyszynski and Adam Stefan Sapehia to be his role models. He learnt from them and admired them and these were men who had a profound influence on the then young Karol. In my own life too God has blessed me with such amazing role models. Right from my days in school having a strict math tuition teacher which shaped my outlook on life to professors in universities who became friends and mentors and managers assigned to me at work who helped me grow my career and hone my talents, I feel just like Karol, I too have been blessed by God to have such wonderful role models along the way who have had a profound impact in my life.
Finally, and more recently, as Karol became pope, he took on immense responsibility for moving the church to be more evangelical. His goal was to bring Christ to everyone and the decisions he made as a pope often was met with criticism and negative commentary. Cardinals questioned his objectives and goals, some questioned his teachings and were doubtful of his pontificate. He didn’t carry the decorum of a pope – the fact he used to kayak around with married couples and single adults as a priest was unorthodox and nonconforming to the times of a religious back then (and I think it’s still apparent right now). I see alot of resemblance in that – especially what Karol had to endure as a pope. As a church youth leader I too feel the weight of the expectations, the comments and cynicism of my ministry members and like the cardinals who questioned the Pope, I too feel the pressures of being questioned and doubted by my own leaders at times. Not to say they are bad people or anything – as the saying goes “heavy is the head that wears the crown” I have found at times of just giving up and letting go.
And I guess that’s where I can learn a thing or two from John Paul II – to not give up when the going gets tough, to be steadfast and firm in my decisions as a leader and to press on and lead God’s people. I also must realize that my position and my ministry is not about me at the end of the day. I’m just the steward not the master or the owner. And I can fail and I will fail at times. But what’s more important is to endure (just like Wujek) and persevere in turbulent times. And finally, to make time for prayer – to learn to talk to God more often and commit more time to Him. Wujek was a master at this and if there’s anything I should learn from this amazing man…it would be his love and devotion to God.
