By The Gong Guru, Matt Omo
Pope Benedict XVI resigns and a photo surfaces of lightning striking the center of the dome on St. Peter’s Basilica (below right) on the same day. Perhaps God is trying to say something. Could it be an angry jab of distain from the heavens? Or perhaps someone just got the latest verision of Photoshop?
Pope Lightning at Soul SessionsWhether it was a real image or not, the retrirement of the Pope, head of a 2000+ year old religion, with a congregation of more than one billion people, is big news. Why is it such big news? Because the Catholic Church is not one for radical change. It has been almost 600 years since a Pope has retired and the Catholic Church still strongly adhears to it’s orthodox views on marriage, birth control and abortion (to name a few).
The churches strong conservative views are held in high regard as aging men continue to take hold of papal office, with as much vitality as a worm left in the sun to dry.
This strong grip on 2000+ year old doctrines and traditions is something that goes against the very nature of life itself. Why? Because the only constant in life is… CHANGE!
An acorn doesn’t become an oak tree by holding tightly to it’s hard shell. The ocean doesn’t gain it’s vast power from becoming rigid. My reflection doesn’t look the same today as it did 20 years ago (it’s much better).
The Church, however, remains set in it’s ways ~ like a rock in an ever changing river, creating resistance with the natural flow around it. After 2000 years, even the biggest rocks have changed their shape siginificantly with the eroding river of change. Each day the waters whittle away it’s very foundation.
The speed of modernisation is eroding many of these once seeminly-solid, traditional structures faster than we can illegally download our favourite movie to a flashdrive.
The GFC represents the cracking and crumbling of the world’s economy, and we all tighten our belts on spending and fear the worst. Housing bubbles are bursting. Governments are full of heartless talking heads who don’t trust each other or have the trust of the public. And then there’s sport, riddled with corruption and drug scandles. The once seemingly-solid, traditional structures are eroding… fast.
The structures that have the power to survive are those that can adapt, change and evolve with time. If Apple were still trying to market their first computer they would be laughable (no Iphones, Ipods, Itunes ~ how would we cope?). If the music industry didn’t embrace online sales the record labels would have closed their doors. If Google was still just a search engine, we wouldn’t be able to see the heart shaped island in Croatia on google maps.
Change is good, and in fact, it is the only constant. As most of us know too well, when we hold on to things in our lives we become stuck and stagnant. As much as I wanted to save my parachute pants from the sixth grade (what was I thinking?), I had to change my style.
Perhaps the lightning strike was a message from God suggesting that as the man in the Pope mobile changes, perhpas the Church should consider some radical changes in it’s orthodox views?
Whether that happens or not, the lightning strike and the Pope’s retirement could be the perfect wake up call for us all. A sign that it is time for us to look at what old programs, thought patterns, habits, relationships or even old sandals need retiring in our own life? I’m sure we all have a few that need letting go of.
Is it time to let go and upgrade to something that serves us better in the now? Embracing change is embracing life.
Soul Sessions salutes Matt Omo, The Gong Guru,
and the proud owner of Be Still & Chill
He will be using his big gong to open Sex Love and Domestic Bliss Sydney, April 10
When and where will we meet again?
Tomorrow? Fresh soul here online (almost) daily ~ A Grand Love Story Blog
Sydney, April 10? In person at next live Soul Session ~ Sex, Love & Domestic Bliss (or lack thereof)
Any time day or night? Soul Sessions Facebook page