A Priest Who Tries

Hope is a concept that can be adapted by all people, in any sort of situation a person can cling to hope for something to turn around. The priest in the novel, The Power and the Glory, is trying to find any sort of hope in the world that he lives where he is illegal and is being hunted. He truly shows how even though he has made mistakes he still does good in the world. Nobody is perfect by no means, and everyone is going to mess up at some point or another; the sort of person you are is not determined by your mistakes but rather how you recover from them.

In the church that I go to, there was a big mess earlier in the year. One of our pastor's came out and said that he had an affair with a woman. He told the church that he is going to step down from his duties because he did not feel eligible anymore. My pastor did a bad thing but he admitted to it and works to be a better person because of it. The priest in the novel is an alcoholic and knows it but in the book Graham Greene places little moments of pure gold for the priest in order to show case that he is trying. "This was what he was used to: the words not striking home, the hurried close, the expectation of pain coming between him and his faith. He said stubbornly, 'Above all remember this -- heaven is here." (70) Instead of fleeing like a coward to escape the police he stays and reads the longest prayer possible. He is trying to overcome his failures and show the world that he is trying.

Mistakes happen it is just a part of life that we all have to deal with. Nobody in this world is perfect. You don't need to be perfect to be good, you just need to try and put forth effort. The priest really does make an honest effort, so show a little bit of concern, and maybe the world will turn around for you.