If you’ve ever watched a sporting event on TV you have probably noticed someone holding a sign in the stands that reads John 3:16 which says “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son.” Certainly a life-giving thought. But John 3:17 is also important to remember: “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” That thought is the one which Pope Francis has been emphasizing. How easy it is to condemn, to criticize. “You messed up. You’re out. You failed.” But since Jesus did not come to condemn but to save the Church must find ways to include, to reconcile, to forgive. And saying “the Church” includes you and me.
