For me the recent death of Pope Francis brings into sharp focus the quality of conscious presence. Of course, I never met him and yet he seemed the living embodiment of all he believed and espoused – peace, humility, simplicity, compassion for all and especially those less fortunate and disenfranchised in our world.
Amongst the pomp and splendour of the Papacy he chose to live in simple quarters. He is said to have clashed with world leaders in his commitment to peace. In his passing (not withstanding the scale of his funeral) he chose a place of rest that aligned with his faith.
Religion isn’t the point here. What is and is a clear reminder for us all, is to discover and be guided by our higher purpose, and by love and compassion for all living things. To ensure our intentions are pure and directed to a greater good not personal gain. To live through our heart integrated with wisdom.
Rather than ruminating on what’s wrong – and there seems to be so much in our world at the moment from the ‘stuff’ on our own doorstep to the more global and existential issues – we may choose a different way. That is choosing to focus our fullest attention on the beauty of our world, on the sense of understanding and connection that grows from our interactions with others when we listen with our heart engaged, on living our higher purpose explicitly.
Perhaps then we will find ourselves deeply connected, present with life, able to contribute more powerfully to the creation of a better world for all and attracting others to join us in the work. And we don’t have to be a leader on the world stage to do this.