Skip to main content

Even When It Rings True: A Lesson in Discernment from a Meme

 May 20, 2005




There is a quote going around that I have seen several times.  

“You cannot follow both Christ and the cruelty of kings. A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself, and preys on the innocent is not sent by God. He is sent to test you. And many are failing.”— Pope Leo XIV

It was bold. Convicting. And honestly—it spoke to everything I believe about compassion, justice, and moral courage. I almost shared it immediately.

But something made me pause.

Just about everyone knows who Pope Leo XIV is by now. He was chosen to be Pope in May 2025. He is the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, a man known for his heart for the poor and his commitment to pastoral care. But here’s the thing: this quote doesn’t appear in any official statement, homily, or address he has given.

It seems the quote has been circulating for some time, likely before his election, and was attributed to “Pope Leo XIV” as a way to give the message weight. This attribution causes confusion.

And that got me thinking. How easy it is to be manipulated not just by lies we disagree with—but by messages we want to be true. When a statement flatters our worldview, reflects our values, or gives us a sense of moral clarity, we’re far more likely to accept it without question. But that’s where discernment becomes essential.

Real discernment isn’t just about spotting what’s false. It’s about learning to pause even when something rings true—to ask, Is this real? Is it grounded? Is it wise to pass along?

We live in a world flooded with information—some of it true, some of it clever, some of it emotionally charged and carefully engineered to push us into outrage, righteousness, or division. If we want to live with integrity, we have to learn how to listen to our conscience and double-check our facts.

Even when we agree with the message. Especially then.

So I didn’t share the meme. But I am sharing this story. Because I think we’re all navigating a strange new world where truth, fiction, faith, and persuasion swirl together faster than we can process. And we’re all learning as we go.

Here’s what I’m learning:

- That discernment is a habit worth building.
- That emotional truth and factual truth are not always the same.
- And that pausing is a sacred act.

A Final Thought

The quote may not be from Pope Leo XIV. But it still spoke to something inside me—and maybe inside you too. That part is still worth paying attention to. And maybe that’s where discernment begins: not in rejecting every word, but in learning how to listen deeply and still ask questions.

Still Curious. Still Growing, Still Grateful.

by Janis @ Simple Raw and Natural






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Happy in the Garden

Yesterday I worked in the garden instead of walking around the neighborhood.  It is a different feeling. It's true that I only got in about 6500 steps by the end of the day instead of over 10,000, but it was a different feeling.  Travis planted some tomatoes and peppers, I cleaned the lower deck and pulled some weeds.  Lucy dug in the dirt and felt so happy.  I felt the same way. Working in the garden makes you feel happy and productive. I was puzzled by a plant growing in the herb garden as a weed.  I started pulling them out but decided to check if they are edible.  Edible weeds, such as dandelion,  can be used in our smoothies.  I put a picture on Facebook to ask for help identifying the weed, and the consensus is that it is plantain.  Some say edible and some say not, but I am inclined to think that it is edible.  My brother, Max, lives up in the mountains, and his neighbor says it is edible and the smallest leaves are best with...
17 comments
Read more

The Lou Corona Story

Yesterday, we went to Magic Springs with our daughter, son-in-law and three grandchildren.  The landscaping there is beautiful this year.  This one little flower didn't let a little concrete stop it.     Lunch today was three bananas which I ate about 1:30.  I'm letting my body rest a little bit after eating too much food the last couple of days.  I did domestic chores today.  But Travis made a trip to the City Compost Facility for another load of compost.  We'll use it on the trees we still have left to plant. We have a volunteer tomato plant coming up in one of the garden beds.  It's doing pretty well, too.  I have it on my to do list to buy some more tomato cages. The arugula I planted is up. The kale Travis planted is up. The new plum tree is planted. Here is a volunteer Poke Salat that came with the blueberry plant.  Travis planted some more blueberries in the blueberry row that lines our driveway. The...
Post a Comment
Read more

Alko Shredder

 It was chilly this morning, but I got out and worked a bit in the garden bed that had the strawberries moved out yesterday.  I fed it with the mineral supplement and fertilizer.  I started putting on compost, but ran out of time before I finished.  We are going to plant some kale in this bed. Bed #3 weeded, minerals added, fertilized, and partly composted. Travis and I went to an estate sale today.  First thing we saw was a garden shredder.  We bought it for $60.00 and brought it home.  There are lots of leaves in my yard that could be shredded. Our new used Alko shredder...made in Germany.    For dinner tonight I made a soup.  The inspiration came from Dara Dubinet on her You-tube video, but mine was different because I used what we had. My vegetable soup recipe:  Juice a beet, 6 carrots, 3 broccoli stalks, and a sweet potato.  Then heat a pot of water on the stove, but do not boil.  In the Vita-Mix, put 3 med...
7 comments
Read more