The passing of the Pope made waves over the globe lately, turning the nations' attention from the trail of wreck at Nias to Italy. There isn't much good news as headlines is there. Reading through the tributes and the efforts people have credited the Pope for his lifelong dedication and service seemed to strike a cord within me that we do tend to presume a somewhat eternal existence on the leaders we look up to - we don't think they would die and leave us. And when they do, we find it hard to let go. Some even suddenly realise how lost they are.
Much acknowledgements and credits were given by leaders of diverse nations and religious backgrounds, all commenting the warmth and charity of the Pope towards peace. What I can learn from this man is how he was looked upon as a leader who had broken through barriers which were new ground, e.g. he was the first Pope to have stepped into a mosque within his intention to improve Muslim-Catholic relations. What touched me most was the photo of the Pope visiting Mehmet Ali Agca, who is serving sentence in the Kartal prison in Istanbul for his attempt in assasinating the Pope and had seriously wounded him. Mehmet's brother claimed that the Pope was like a brother to Mehmet. For more read http://202.186.86.35/news/story.asp?file=/2005/4/4/world/10591603&sec=world
I think it respect and honor to have so many people and world leaders recognise and acknowledge the efforts one had done to make a change. I hear myself saying : "this life we live it once, to the fullest, to the farthest, most excellent voyage people would acclaim over and over, begins with this one step: what am I going to do with my life today?"
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