Please read the passage before reading the commentary.
In the aftermath of the national elections this fall, St Paul has much to offer us in this letter to Titus. We do need to be under control, obedient, and peaceful. This holds both for Democrats and Republicans. Both winners and losers need to be under control, obedient, and peaceful. Neither winners nor losers have the freedom to do whatever they want; we all must be constrained by the kindness and generous love of God.
All of us are saved by the graciousness of God, not by votes, electoral votes or our own ingenuity. All elected officials are elected for the common good of all. We have, for example, only one President, not two, and the president selected must serve all, not just one party or one group of people.
Titus’ people were Christians, living under pagan authorities. They were living under some constraint or harassment. Titus is to instruct them to be peaceable, honest and truthful. Only when the Christins live up to what they profess will the pagans come to belief.
In today’s world, it is hard to describe governments as Christian or religious because of the complexity of societies. We live in places where many people with many differing ways of living their lives have come together. It is love that binds people together; it is hate and selfishness that divides people. If we respect the God whom we worship, we will respect all the people around us, for it is only one God who has made all of us.
The early Europeans who came to North America and who settled in what we now call the United States of America, called themselves Christian, but they were also anti-Catholic. The authors of our governing documents referred to themselves as deists, not a Christians. Our governing documents have not established one particular church as “official”. All religions, even atheist, have equal standing. In our society.
The words of this reading refer to us just as much as it refers to the people of Titus’ day. We are all constrained by the kindness and generous love of God, even though at times we may be living in hostile environments.