Sunday Reflection (September 18, 2022)

The early Christians such as those addressed in 1 Timothy were a minority religion,
and as in any society a minority religion could easily become a scapegoat and
suffer persecution. The early Christians did not want to send the wrong message
|to the world around them. This does not mean they forsook the faith, rather they
witnessed to outsiders by living a peaceful quiet life in godliness and dignity.
They were not a hotbed of political activism that could easily lend itself to violence,
rather they were a soothing healing influence upon society (1 Timothy 2:1-8).

This certainly speaks to us even today, no matter the circumstance or who is in office,
we are urged to pray, not only for certain persons or those of our political persuasion,
or only a certain class of people; we are urged to pray in a universal sense for all people
and even our governmental leaders. This does not mean we always agree with
what our leaders do or say, but that we pray in the hope of healing and restoration.
Through godliness and dignity, we represent Christ to the best of our abilities.