By Chase Harker
Last week, Pope Francis took America by storm with his inspiring message in which he called for a new generation of world-changers to develop creative solutions for the world’s most pressing problems.
His five-day tour marked his first visit to the United States and included a meeting at the White House, an address to both a joint-session of Congress and the United Nations General Assembly, a Mass at Madison Square Garden, and an open-air Mass with nearly 1 million people in Philadelphia. Through the midst of what many called the largest security detail in US history appeared a humble man greeting crowds of Americans from across the nation, all while riding in an unassuming Fiat 500L.
Over the course of his visit in the U.S., Pope Francis captured the unceasing attention of major news outlets as well as the hearts of the American people, with his humble words and Christlike actions. When President Obama introduced him at the White House, he commended the Pope for “shaking us out of complacency.”
Pope Francis inspired many to enter into renewed dialogue on a multitude of issues ranging from the refugee crisis in Syria to maintaining, “our common home,” or the Earth, from threats of pollution and decay.
He highlighted our own generation’s challenge of complacent living and called for a new focus on maintaining personal responsibility for serving our brothers and sisters in Christ while holding to the mission of the Gospel in our constantly changing world. He encouraged his audiences to creatively adapt and not forget the legacy of the past, but to look beyond structures and institutions to realize the possibilities of the future.
His inspiring message resonated within my own mind and I reflected on how his message highlighted two indispensable pieces of wisdom for any would-be world changer: the problems of the present need both adaptive and creative solutions to create change, and the importance of dialoguing on issues in pursuit of common solutions.
Chase Harker is a Senior who attended Pope Francis’ address to Congress last week on behalf of Congressman Pete Sessions (R-Dallas).
