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Pentecostal Theology, Volume 27, No. 1, Spring 2005
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Editorial
John Paul II and the Culture of Life
Frank D. Macchia
The world has witnessed with sadness the passing of Pope John Paul II. Many in the media have understandably highlighted his support of the “culture of life” in resistance to the “culture of death.” I am not surprised that the media should focus on this aspect of John Paul II’s legacy at a time such as this, when terror and war are in the air. The discernment of how we are to resist the culture of death is not always easy, as we all saw in the polemics surrounding the onset of the war in Iraq and, more recently, the Terri Shiavo case. A zeal for life is crucial but so is the capacity to hear the voices on the other side of the debate. As difficult as this dis- cernment is, however, there is no denying that we cannot avoid it. After all, Paul bears witness to the fact that the Kingdom of God will find ulti- mate fulfillment when the reign of death is overthrown by the reign of life inaugurated in the world through Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:20–28). How can we submit to the reign of life now and discern how best to do this in given situations?
Regardless of how we might judge John Paul II’s particular support of life in given situations globally, we can certainly be grateful for his deep passion for it. He revealed this passion even in the midst of his own debilitating disease. In John Paul II’s strength in weakness, we saw a wit- ness to the Spirit’s own groaning for the liberty of life in solidarity with creation (Rom 8:22, 26).
John Paul II’s theological and ecumenical legacy will surely and under- standably be debated in the years to come. After the passing of a person like John Paul II, we usually start our reflections on a more personal level. I have asked Cecil M. Robeck Jr. if he would provide us with a personal as well as academically insightful reflection on John Paul II’s impact and legacy. I trust that our readership will appreciate the personal journey of our chief ecumenist as it involved the relationship between John Paul II and the Pentecostal movement.
© 2005 Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden p. 1
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