Last Wednesday, July 13, Pope Francis did one of those amazing acts that we are getting used to.

The media said that, after attending a routine visit to the dentist, he asked the driver of his Ford Focus, instead of returning directly to his offices, to deviate a little and to go to the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, located outside the Vatican walls. The driver expressed his doubts —no security guards were with them— to which Francis replied: “Do not worry, I’m the Pope, we are in God’s hands.”

At the Pontifical Commission, the workers in the organization could not believe their eyes: seeing the Pope at the door, and asking permission to enter. We can imagine the commotion that ensued. The Pope wished to speak with Professor Carriquiri Guzman, head of the institution, and so he asked: “Hey, doctor, do you have time for a little chat?” And his partner joked: “No, my agenda is very busy today. Please, come another day!”

After the joke, they had a half hour closed-door meeting and, later, ten minutes for coffee and photos with those who were there.

In this episode we can read something more than a mere anecdote. It is a portrait of the shepherd who does not want to live isolated in a crystal palace, and who flees from the rigid protocol. A person who undoubtedly is embarked on a major reform in the Church; that puts the person in first place, especially the poor and humble.

What have we to learn for our life, in this episode? Are we close? Do we appreciate everyday life as a meeting place with one another? Do we flee from the protocol, charges, power…?

May the example of Pope Francis teach us, again, to put things in place and everything in its fair value.