God is Good! God’s Word always seems to challenge a bit of, shall I say, conscience formation!

When I read and reflected on these readings for today, another passage from Scripture came to mind from 1 Cor. 12…I began to sing  the song written by John Foley, SJ,  One Bread, One Body, “Gentile or Jew, woman or man, servant or free, no more…”  Yes, as scripture tells us, we are all one in Christ.

But, why did this come to mind? I imagine Titus is concerned about the population he is ministering to in Crete, their behaviors, and urging them to move away from “godless ways and worldly desires”. He is writing for his time, through his lens of the Greek culture where he was proclaiming the Gospel. All good things as he exhorts them to live with sound doctrine.  However, it is the duality of virtuous behavior that strikes me. Whether older men, or older women, or younger men and women, youth, etc…they all ought to behave in like manner! In godly ways! And, in addition, it is all great advice for our own society where godly behaviors seem to have disappeared as we witnessed throughout our election cycle,  along with shootings, riots, trafficking, homelessness, healthcare concerns, wars, religious divisions, etc…so much unrest! Where is the respect, reverent behavior, and dignity?

Am I a bit frustrated? I guess you might say so. I bet I am not the only one, too! To live and recognize the equality of all people without dualities, I believe, would truly be a sign of the Reign of God at hand. To live without fear and peacefully without all the “isms” of race, religion or sex, etc…

But, indeed the Reign of God it is at hand, in Jesus, as he teaches his apostles with another lesson on service and servanthood.  Jesus urges us to go beyond the expected. In our time, and in one of many ways,  we see it in those who work for social reform, justice, and the common good whether it be grass roots movements or in our elected officials. We each find our way given our talents and gifts to share.

Today is election-day, in the United States. To cast a ballot is to go the extra step. It is a way to put peace and justice in an active voice.  It is a way to be part of building up of the Reign of God by voting our consciences.

Whatever the outcome, as one body in Christ, we can believe with hope that

“The grace of God has appeared, saving all,
and training us to reject godless ways …
To live justly, and devoutly in this age
as we await the 'Blessed Hope' … Jesus …
who gave himself for us
to deliver us from all lawlessness
and to cleanse for himself a people as his own,
eager to do what is good."

To take the extra step, eager to do what is good, to be Christ’s presence, to be  a blessed hope in our time…Go for it! God is Good!