You will do well to be attentive to it,
as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
We have heard the Father's decree, ""This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." And we have heard his command, "Listen to him." The first sentence is revelation because we could not know Jesus as the Son of God unless it were announced to us. The second concerns our behavior; our moral conduct begins with listening to the Word of God.
Concerning the difference between ethics and morals, Google offers a helpful distinction. Ethics concerns our external behavior, and is determined by the society around us. Different societies have different ethical standards, especially if they are select groups like lawyers, doctors, and teachers. We don't expect teachers to be familiar with the ethical codes of lawyers.
Morality, on the other hand, is more personal and internal. We believe certain behaviors are acceptable or not acceptable, regardless of what our colleagues or companions say. Veterans of combat may suffer severe guilt even as they are decorated for killing a dangerous enemy. According to a warrior society, their action was necessary, heroic, and ethical; but...
Morals have an instinctive and universal feel about them; the Church regards them as Natural Law, available and obvious to everyone in every age and place. Cultural anthropology sometimes urges us to keep an open mind about different ethical standards. It teaches courses in "comparative religions," as if there is any comparison between the Son of God and Muhammad or the Buddha. It points even to changing standards in biblical history (e.g. Solomon's polygamy) but we know in our guts and the Spirit insists that things like abortion, suicide, and divorce violate human dignity, regardless of any culture which endorses such behavior.
Baptized into Jesus, sharing his Body and Blood by our Eucharist, Christians must be a moral people. We must strive to live by higher standards than our contemporaries. Our right conduct proves God's sovereign authority over us, and reveals God's holiness through us. People who know us as God's Elect by Baptism or circumcision expect us to act morally. They know the Natural Law even when they deny there is such a thing, and they know God's authority even as they deny God's existence.
When we hear the Father's command, "Listen to him!" we expect more than a commission to announce the gospel to every nation. We must evangelize, certainly. But we must also be holy. They will listen to us because we are holy. The world expects -- and deserves -- nothing less from us.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.