When Rabbi Lyon Sat with Pope Francis

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you for joining me. I'm Rabbi David Lyon from
Congregation Beth Israel in Houston. This week, I want to
share with you a very special journey that I experienced
with fellow leaders in my community and across the West
and Southwest, clergy, lay people, all Christian but me, the

(00:21):
Jewish rabbi, attended with eighteen other people to travel to Europe,
to Italy, to Rome, and the purpose of our visit
was to share all about the work that we're doing
in our respective communities, but collectively to make a difference
among the most vulnerable people we know in the areas

(00:41):
where we live and work. And we share that story
and at work with Pope Francis. Yes, indeed, we were
invited to visit with Pope Francis in Santa Marta, his residence,
and in a very carefully constructed but very personal visit,

(01:02):
we spent more than ninety minutes sitting in company with
Pope Francis. As a Jew, as a rabbi, I respect
Pope Francis brilliantly as a world leader who speaks to
billions of Catholics around the world and guides them according
to his ideas and plans. Insights and inspirations. But as

(01:24):
a world leader such as he is, he also has
great impact on everything that all of us must consider
as we, in our own respective religions and in our
own respective ways address the world too. So as we
sat in a circle and Pope Francis entered the room,
he greeted each of us with a handshake and a smile,

(01:47):
and greeting a person of great height, power and importance,
was at the same time immediately humble and filled with
good humor. He took a seat in a space chair
as we began to listen to is welcome to us.
Then around the circle we introduced ourselves, briefly telling him

(02:09):
where we are from, what we do, and when my
turn came, perhaps you might imagine to his surprise, I
introduced myself as Rabbi David Lyon from Houston, Texas at
Congregation Beth Israel, just as I introduced myself to you
each week. The Pope raised his eyebrows and welcomed me,

(02:32):
and he said, keep your eyes open. I took that
to mean that not just for me to listen around
the circle and to his message to Christian Catholics and
to all people, but I think in general that all
of us must keep our eyes open to be sure
that we listened to each other and all that we

(02:54):
mean to do and to be together as a community.
What's more, we went around the circle to share the
very special work that we're doing. We heard individual reports
from two others and from me about the impact that
our community service work is making for those who struggle

(03:14):
with health care, immigration, poverty, sickness, hunger, and in all
the ways that we try to make a difference. He
was moved by not only the effort that we're making
and the real work that we're doing, but in the
manner that we're doing it. And what did he hear.
He heard about diversity, Christians, Jews and Muslims coming together.

(03:40):
He heard how we sit with elected officials and hold
them accountable to be sure that the plans that we
hope that they will come through on are actually plans
that they do come through on, so that not just
in the near future, but for over time, policies and
directors might change to make a real difference. Pope Francis

(04:01):
listened attentively and after each story. He also responded thoughtfully
when I shared with him about the congregation that I
served a middle class congregation that very often suffers less
than others in other areas of our state of Texas
and other parts of the region. I shared with him
that it's important to make uncomfortable those who are comfortable,

(04:26):
to disturb those who are less disturbed, to awaken them
to the world around us that still needs repair and fixing.
And I shared with him, like it is in the
Christian community, in the Jewish community, too, we focus on
those ways that we can respond to the Hebrew prophets

(04:46):
Amos Hoseiah Isaiah, who spoke about feeding the hungry, clothing
the naked, and providing for those with less. It continues
to be a profound Jewish value we often call and
you I've often heard it called tikun o lam to
repair the world. But when I finished my message to him,

(05:07):
I cited a third century text from the Mishnah called
pure quiet a vote. And perhaps I've shared it with
you before, but I was pleased to share with Pope
Francis these words. It is not our obligation to complete
all the work that needs to be done, but neither
are we free to desist from trying. The day is short,

(05:27):
the work is long, and the Lord is waiting. Pope
Francis acknowledged it. He appreciated that text, and without wasting
another moment, he immediately called for his assistance his aids,
to come into the room because he wanted to share
with us many writings and cyclicals and other small books

(05:51):
that he wrote on many of the meaningful messages that
he wanted to share with the billions of people that
he reaches. And as we took about five or ten minutes,
his aids collected a pile of small books and handed
to each of us a collection of these writings and books.
To those of us who speak English, they were written

(06:12):
in English, and those whose primary or first language was Spanish,
they received copies of those books in Spanish. Each of
us walked away with a ton, it felt of books
that were filled with his texts and messages. And so
in a way, as he said to me, we are intertwined.

(06:32):
The texts continue to speak to us. For me, as
a rabbi, Torah Mishna, Talmud and many other texts always
guide me and are the bedrock foundation of how I
reach the meaning of my work and explain the purpose
of what we need to do. And for the Pope.
It was for him a moment to go back to

(06:55):
his texts, not only the ones that are the origin
of his faith, but ones that he produced as a
result of his work as a thinker, thought leader and
leader of billions of Catholics and others who follow his word.
And so as we came to a close, we shared

(07:16):
other stories and heard his humility. Despite the grandeur of
the person before whom we were sitting, he shared good
humor and laughter with us, and it was his reminder
to us that whether we are leaders or followers, whether
we are great or small, whether we are smart or simple,

(07:38):
each of us is created in God's image, with something
important and meaningful to do, to participate with others, to
make a difference in the lives of people. Paul Francis
was especially focused on the origin of his world in
Buenos Aires in Argentina. Many of the leaders there had
spent time there to see the poverty and poor qualities

(08:01):
of people's lives and to organize themselves to create and
deliver a difference to the people there. But it isn't
only in that place, but also in many of the
places where we live, where perhaps some of the solutions
are simpler than they are in places like Buenos Aires.
And so as we made our way from the sitting

(08:23):
room at santamarn't it with Pope Francis? He offered us
all a blessing. It was a privilege to receive a
blessing from him. It was a privilege for me, even
as a Rappi, to receive a blessing from him too,
a good man filled with the Holy Spirit. Even as
we call it in Judaism ruach Elohim, the spirit of

(08:45):
God continues to surround us and guide us if we
are open to those moments and opportunities that God provides us.
As we are often taught we shouldn't look for signs.
We need to live in the world that we encounter.
But at the same time we should not walk sightless
among miracles. That is to say, there are moments that

(09:09):
are more special and important than others, and if we
do take notice of them and understand the importance that
they mean to us and the difference we as individuals
and as a group can make in those moments. And
there is something that our traditions, our Christian, Jewish and
Muslim traditions have led us to understand, to know and do,

(09:33):
and finally we let him know that we all brought
some items that people wanted to have blessed. In my part,
although I certainly don't carry across or rosaries with me,
there are important people in my life who are Catholic
who shared with me their rosaries. I brought them all
the way from Houston to Rome, and in front of

(09:55):
the Pope, as we all held out our items, he
passed his hands over for them to bless them. And
I am delighted to bring those items back to the
people who entrusted them to me, to bring them to
before this holy Man, and to bring them back to
them because I know that in my friend's hearts and

(10:16):
souls they hang on the words of the Pope and
believe deeply in their religious faith. And for me, that
means the world that they, too, like me, believe in
something higher and holier. We believe in something larger than ourselves.
But because we are merely human, we have limited time

(10:36):
on this earth and so much more to do. And
so as it was that I said to Pope Francis,
the day is short, the work is long, and God
is waiting. And while there is much brokenness in the world.
It's impossible for us, perhaps ever, to complete all the
work that needs to be done. But while we are here,

(10:57):
we have to work together. Ended after a remarkable and
exceptionable ninety minutes. It was almost beyond our own comprehension
that Pope Francis could permit us so much time. We
thought maybe thirty minutes or forty five, maybe up to
an hour, but a little over ninety minutes meant that

(11:18):
this work and this conversation was important to him. And
what's more, he enjoyed the conversation too. For a man
who is eighty seven years old, he seemed to us
to be much younger, and perhaps it is when he
felt so happy and pleased to be talking about a
subject that was important to him. He looked animated and

(11:38):
youthful and well, and we thanked him for his time
and for his presence. And once more, he took the
moments to shake each of our hands as another person
in the group snapped a picture, to be sure that
all of us left with a memory that will surely
never be forgotten. So as we make our time in

(12:00):
the week to come, let's consider our own connection to
our faith, tradition, and the leaders in our circle of
faith traditions who guide us with their word and more importantly,
by their example. I'm Rabbi David Lyon from Congregation Methi
Israel in Houston, and I'm delighted to share this message
and I hope that you'll listen again and share it

(12:21):
with others, And if you do, you'll find it on
my podcast called Heart to Heart with Rabbi David Lyon
at Sonny ninety nine dot com and the iHeartRadio app.
I return to Houston soon, but not without taking a
couple of days to tour Rome, to go beyond Saint
Peter Square and the Vatican, which I've seen in important

(12:43):
and intimate ways, but to find my way through the
streets and pathways of Rome, to learn more about its history.
And as we say, all roads lead to Rome, I
look forward to understanding what that means. Is I place
my own feet on some of those paths and to
discover the beauty, the history, and the meaning of this place.

(13:05):
And one day I'll return again to go well beyond Rome,
to discover more of Italy. But for now, as they say, choo,
and as I've learned a few other Italian words that
people use to greet each other. I'm very pleased to
say that the weather, though hot, the days have been meaningful,
and certainly of this trip has been memorable. So what

(13:27):
will you do to make your days that are coming
up to be meaningful too? I hope that perhaps you
might consider that the diversity and interfaith relationships represented in
such a profound meeting with Pope Francis might be reflected
in the work that we continue to do in the
places where we live. Look at your neighbors not as strangers,

(13:49):
but as fellow human beings. Look at those who are
entering our cities as newcomers, not as strangers but potential
new friends and partners, and all the work that we
need to do in a world filled with brokenness and
rage and fire. It is the example that many of
us experience so personally this week that I hope that
we can share and model for others to continue in

(14:13):
their own particular ways. Open your Bible and open your
text find the most meaningful words that bring us together.
And then when you close those books and those texts,
get on with the work that needs to be done.
There is nothing to be found only in preaching and reading.
We must step out of our comfort zone, out of

(14:35):
our own circle, to be sure that we know what
needs to be done, and those who join us there
always feel welcome. And so I'm pleased to share this
unique message with you this week, even as I return
to my congregation to share it with them and the
community where I serve. Thank you for joining me this day,
and I hope that you have a blessed week. I

(14:57):
look forward to being with you again next time.