Small Miracles

So yesterday was the Pope's funeral. The news media has been obsessed with this. The last estimate I heard was that 4 million people flocked to Rome to see his body. Let me say that again: 4 million people to see his body. Okay, so of course the major networks delved into the crowds to find human interest stories. I only heard a few.

One was about 3 polish-canadian boys who stood in line for 16 hours. Another was about a woman who rode on a bus for 10 hours. Wow. Those are impressive accomplsihments: sitting and standing for long periods of time. Yeah, I'm blown away. But seriously, I would like some actual statistics: how much money was spent getting to Rome, staying there, taking off of work, how many hours were actually spent in this endeavor. I want to see some numbers.

Of course, there are people claiming that this "pilgrimage" should be considered the Pope's first miracle in his bid for sainthood....yes people, we even run for things AFTER we die. Honestly, I can't grant this miracle status. What WOULD be a miracle is if those 4 million people had taken all that time and money they spent to see a corpse and put it towards some sort of charitable effort. THAT would be a miracle. And that is why I want the number, I think those people should be confronted by a quantification of all that waste.

It is just so bizarre to me. These people, who supposedly have faith in a higher power and an afterlife, putting so much stock in getting a glimpse of this empty vessel. What would Jesus do? I don't think this. I don't think he would put so much value in the man's body, at least I hope not. Although I don't believe Jesus was any sort of divine being, I am willing to believe that he was a person who existed and began a cult that grew to a world religion. And that he had good intentions and wanted to help people. Yet, it seems that very few people who claim to be Christians follow that example. They wear the bracelets, they go to church on Sunday morning, and they put bumper stickers on their cars. But then they have lavish vacations in 3rd world countries and have hot dog eating contests in a world full of hunger. They pay thousands of dollars for fertility drugs when there are thousands, possibly millions, of homeless parent-less children already out there. And they don't see the wastefulness in flocking to Europe to stand in line for 16 hours just to view a corpse.

This year about 36,000 people will walk 60 miles over 3 days to raise money for breast cancer. (www.the3day.org) Me and my best buddy will be among them. The walkers are all kinds of people with one thing in common: we have all decided to give our spare time, money, and effort to fight a disease that is preying on our friends and families. People say this is a crazy endeavor, and a huge commitment. It is. Each walker has to raise at least $2100 and train all year long. But I wonder how much more good could be done if 4 million people spent just the 3 days of the event doing good works, for any charity. It seems an impossible dream to get so many people together at once for such an effort: people have jobs, and kids, and lives, they can't just drop everything and help others for free. Well, this funeral proved that all those excuses are lies. These people dropped everything and spent money to stand in that line.

The pilgrimage is not a miracle, action would be. And these "Christians" should really be ashamed of their ignorance and complete inability to understand the true meaning of their religion. Before all the money and power and corruption, before people were buying their way into heaven, before Priests were molesting young boys, there were groups of people gathering together to help others in the name of a God that they believed wanted them to make his world a better place. But, like in a game of telephone in a kindergarten classroom, the message has been distorted beyond all comprehension and this is where we are: being told by the press to admire a woman for sitting on her ass on a bus for 10 hours to go see a corpse. Congratulations. Let me know if she ever rides a plane for 12 hours so I can send her a medal (especially if she flies coach).