White Smoke and Old Rhythms

I’m not Catholic. A new pope doesn’t change my day-to-day. But when that white smoke rises, I still stop and watch.

Not because I’m caught up in doctrine, but because I’m drawn to rhythm.

There’s something timeless about that moment. Ancient rituals unfolding live on HD. The crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the balcony curtains parting, the name announced in Latin.

We live in a world that updates every hour. Most traditions can’t keep up. But this one doesn’t try to. That’s the point.

In a time of Instagram swipes and TikTok cuts, here comes a centuries-old process moving at its own pace. It reminds me that not everything has to be modernized to matter.

Maybe we’re all craving a little ceremony. A little grandeur. A little sense that some things are bigger than us and older than us too.

I may not pray like they do, but I can still feel something when I see robes, rituals, and reverence done right.

So here’s my question: What tradition, big or small, still gives you that sense of awe?

Let me know in the comments and check out more at jamesbrowntv.substack.com.

On that note, I’m James Brown, and as always, be well.

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