All of MysticLand was excited. The MysticLord had announced a doubles badminton tournament. Being a sporty member of the Warrior Tribe, Scorch was naturally excited. She couldn’t wait to participate and of course, win!
But on the day partners were assigned, Scorch’s face fell. She had been paired with a rather clumsy player from the Seer Tribe. There was no way Scorch could win with her current partner. She was quite upset about it.
“Scorchie, it’s okay. I know you like winning but maybe think of it this way,” started Verum, “You’ll make a new friend!”
Scorch grimaced and said, “I don’t want new friends. I have you guys.”
“Oi, listen to the Pope and be grounded and open, rooted and considerate,” said Verum looking into her crystal ball.
Scorch wore a puzzled expression and said, “What are you talking about?”
“My crystal ball brought me news from Hungary, a country in Europe,” said Verum, “Pope Francis paid a short visit to the country. The Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church and Catholics across the world.”
“During the visit, he met Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Prime Minister Orban is against people migrating to Hungary because he sees it as a Christian country,” continued Verum, “In the 2010s, millions of people from war-torn and underdeveloped countries like Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and others arrived in Europe. Their homelands were no longer safe. And these refugees were looking for a better and safer life in Europe.”
“Okay, go on,” said Scorch, listening intently.
“Many of them were Muslims. Prime Minister Orban has spoken out against them repeatedly,” said Verum, “That’s why the Pope told the thousands of people gathered in the vast Heroes’ Square in Budapest to be ‘grounded and open, rooted and considerate’.”
“Did the Pope and Prime Minister Orban disagree during the meeting?” said Scorch.
“No, the meeting was cordial,” said Verum, “However, supporters of the Prime Minister have criticized the Pope for supporting refugees. They have even called him ‘Anti-Christian’.”
“In that case, what a resounding message from the Pope!” said Scorch, “And yes, I’ll be friendly towards my badminton partner.”