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Dear Readers,
Like many of you, I was recently captivated by coverage of Pope Francis' passing, watching his funeral and the following procession through the streets of Rome in the back of a much more simple open-top popemobile than we're used to—an all-electric Mercedes that looks more like a pickup truck than a gilded carriage—resting in a fairly demure wooden coffin, as opposed to the more ornate funerary vessels of his predecessors. While not Catholic myself, I was raised in a heavily Catholic community and have lots of Catholic friends and family, and I've developed a great respect for the message that the late pope consistently gave through his words and his choices throughout his papacy, and now especially in his final will.
Pope Francis was emphatic about reaching and caring for the marginalized, making better choices for our shared environment, creating and maintaining interfaith dialogue, learning from others, choosing mercy over authority, and bringing the world together as much as he could within his reach to create community, build bridges, and make amends for past harm. He seems very much to have been a peacemaker, a person who knew the value of relationships, and someone who esteemed others higher than himself, acknowledging always that he would do what he could do, but it's up to the coming generations to carry the torch to continue to reach out instead of close off, and to follow on in evolving and making progress in order to live in our present times appropriately, recognizing the value of each individual and respecting the identities of the same.
MBC Today isn't a faith-based publication, nor is it a political one, and while I have strong opinions in both realms, I'll not pontificate any more here. The point I hope to make is simply that I am very grateful for the examples of others—both world leaders like Pope Francis and lay people like you and me—who show by their example the indisputable value of caring for others, of controlling the ego, and of understanding that while we may feel we know what's best, others' realities may be entirely different and respect for them is indeed a key to living in peace and building global neighborhoods where everyone has a place.
This all brings me to the point I hope to make: that what I love the most about this beautiful non-profit industry organization we all know as AMBC is the fact that it is a network of so many diverse voices, operating businesses in a huge array of markets, with a wide range of specialties, and that, by being a #MembersHelpingMembers community, there's space for everyone to thrive. It's not about conforming or becoming like each other, but it's about finding each one's secret sauce; it's being encouraged to be the best each can be by fellow AMBC Members, helping each other with advice, suggestions, group brainstorming, collective knowledge, and friendship.
Enjoy this issue of MBC Today. It's a good one. And thank you, as always, for your trust...and for the encouragement you consistently exude.
With gratitude and care,
Columnist | Ask Uncle Marty™
Editor & Producer | MBC Today
Founder | Uncle Marty's Shipping Office
Communication & Vision Coach | AYM High Consultants
Co-Host | To-Be-Announced Podcast Launching Soon(ish)
askunclemarty.com · @askunclemarty · #AskUncleMarty
