An Early Evening Daydream about a Pope

What if the Supreme Roman Pontiff made an unprecedented decision?
What if he made it straight from his gut, his innards?
What if his calculating & rational mind did not hold sway?
What if he listened to the still, small voice within, and blurted out: This I must do?
What if he realized that, heretofore, he had been a bystander?
What if he could reel off all the likely forthcoming criticisms?
What if he listened imperturbably to Vatican officials’ scathing critique of his decision?
What if he privately took humble refuge in the example of Monseñor Romero?
What if he made a simple and strong statement?
What if he eschewed the language of the encyclicals?
What if he said he was going to devote some of the Church’s own resources?
What if he said he was going to sell off some of the Church’s riches, to put toward this effort?
What if he arranged to gather the urgent supplies and material?
What if he invited Jews and Muslims to join him?
What if he made a special appeal to 1,000 Catholics to make preparations to follow in his footsteps?
What if he offered to help subsidize their efforts?
What if he did a week’s worth of nonviolence training beforehand?
What if he exuberantly thanked Kathy Kelly and friends for their savvy, insight and dedication?
What if he refused security accompaniment and all the guarantees normally afforded representatives of a state?
What if he was consequently lambastd by Christians, Jews, atheists, liberals, and conservatives?
What if he gently smiled when told of the latest castigation, this time by a prominent Italian politician?
What if he said mysteriously to a confidante that he had experienced an epiphany?
What if he was told that there were even threats being made on his life if he followed through with such “a disgraceful, outrageous stunt”?
What if he said his life was not more important than their lives?
What if he mentioned that, yes, in his youth, he had been a fisherman?
What if he noted that, because of his decision, many Catholics around the world were no longer making contributions to their parishes?
What if he also noted that, while some Catholics left the Church, others, evidently, were coming back?
What if he held a prayer service before he went?
What if he insisted that it be simultaneously translated into Arabic?
What if he slept well the night before he left?
What if he had to be instructed in how to send Tweets?
What if he was prepared to wear jeans and a work shirt and a hoodie?
What if he spoke of the urgency of the situation to the few reporters who’d been told of his point of embarkation?
What if he and his companions all calmly boarded the boat?
What is he said his M.O. was to be cunning as a serpent, gentle as a dove?
What if this Pope and his companions were committed to break the siege?
What if they didn’t look back?
What if they were headed to Gaza?

–inspired by a proposal made long ago by Andrew Wimmer and Carol Leslie (before the U.S. commencement of “Shock and Awe” in Iraq)