Pope Francis, Politics, and the Fascinating Science of Irresistible Faith

With election platforms taking shape and presidential candidates taking aim, it’s sometimes easy to confuse our politics with our faith. The danger, of course, is thinking our politics point people to Jesus, instead of our own quiet faithful service to God and others.

“The first thing we’re going to see is our countrymen, thousands, millions of them moved by faith, their eyes looking to heaven, their heart warmed by God’s love. And we’re going to see that in public. And we’re going to see that in tens of millions of people. And that will be a moment of seeing faith in a way we rarely see it in this country in public.”

That’s what David Brooks said in anticipation of Pope Francis’ visit to the United States. It’s a powerful image, isn’t it? People publicly expressing their faith in a way that draws others in.

Brooks’ vision is a far cry from reports about polarization, animosity, and social media ranting across the United States. These divisions rise up along party lines, with people of faith on both sides; it seems that we don’t trust each other. What’s up with that?

With election platforms taking shape and presidential candidates taking aim, it’s sometimes easy to confuse our politics with our faith. The danger, of course, is thinking our politics point people to Jesus, instead of our own quiet faithful service to God and others.

Certainly, our faith informs the way we vote or volunteer or voice our thoughts about world affairs. But the way we live our faith in public involves so much more than politics. Jesus told us the world will know we are Christians because of our love for one another, not because of the way we vote or the music we like or the committees on which we serve. Love makes our faith attractive to others. Consider this comment from my friend as she observed the way Pope Francis interacted with people during his visit to the U. S.:

“He is saying such good stuff. And the love he is pouring on the people … makes me want to be Catholic. Good stuff.”

Of course, love is more than mere fluffy sentiment. We’re talking about agape love here, and we are drawn to this kind of love wherever we see it. People take note when the Pope puts other people first. Agape love reaches out to others without any concern for its own needs or desires.

Even science seems to support this idea of selflessness as a pathway, of sorts, to deeper spirituality. Researchers at the University of Missouri conducted a study to determine whether there is a “neurophysical basis for spirituality.” Brick Johnstone, professor of health psychology in the School of Health Professions, led the study of twenty people with traumatic brain injuries. These injuries affected the right parietal lobe, which is a part of the brain that sits just a few inches above the right ear. Then, Johnstone surveyed the participants—asking them things like, How close do you feel to a higher power? or Do you think your life is part of a divine plan?

What Johnstone found is that patients with more significant injury to this area of the brain showed “an increased feeling of closeness to a higher power.” And here’s the kicker, in Johnstone’s words:

Neuropsychology researchers consistently have shown that impairment on the right side of the brain decreases one’s focus on the self … our research shows that people with this impairment are more spiritual, this suggests spiritual experiences are associated with a decreased focus on the self. This [finding] is consistent with many religious texts that suggest people should concentrate on the well-being of others rather than on themselves.

In his address to the United States Congress, Pope Francis invoked the Golden Rule to help us think about selflessness in action:

“Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.”

And so, it would seem agape love, while selfless and focused on others first, might also serve to bring the agape practitioner to a deeper experience of faith. This is the power of humble faith. It transcends political animosity and soapbox grandstanding. This, perhaps, is the attractional element we see in people like Pope Francis or Nelson Mandela.

Agape love isn’t limited to world leaders. It can be simple, ordinary, everyday. The lady upstairs who makes pie for people new to the building. The gentleman who shovels the sidewalks for everyone before they wake up.

Agape love draws us close. It flows out of a deep faith, expressed in the (often quiet) selfless acts of service, kindness, and grace. It is committed to helping others flourish. Who can resist it?