One of the things I’ve always loved about Jesus’ parables is how down-to-earth they are. He doesn’t talk over people’s heads—he uses stories about seeds, soil, lost coins, and sheep. Stuff ordinary people actually deal…

So what do we know about the new Pope? That was the question echoing everywhere within minutes of his election Thursday afternoon. All those carefully crafted lists—the so-called ‘Papabili,’ the supposed “favorites”—suddenly didn’t matter.  Instead,…