Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs

Lectionary: 443

For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all.


In this passage from Saint Paul's First Letter to Saint Timothy, in the context of allegiance to legitimate government authority, the Apostle recognizes the sovereignty of God over all peoples, states, tribes, and nations. Christians cannot claim a personal relationship with God that might give them authority over non-believers. We cannot claim that, by our covenant, we should rule the world or judge the wicked. Jesus never suggested the Kingdom of Heaven would be a theocracy -- ruled by God and governed by priests. Egyptian pharaohs and Roman emperors  made these claims, the Jews despised such nonsense. Their tradition was deeply familiar with the sins of the wealthy and powerful. Unlike the chronicles of other nations, the Hebrew Scriptures remembered the corruptions of power. 
Well within that traditional memory, Saint Paul counseled loyalty to "kings and all those in authority." Some are better than others, none are wholly evil, none are entirely trustworthy. We work with what we have. 
The American media, caught up in Manichean frenzies, love to discover and denounce the wicked behavior of the powerful. Once discovered, they and all their friends, associates, and those who "met them only once" are pilloried and expected to prostrate themselves and apologize for their sins. If -- God help us -- they accepted donations from the accused they must immediately and publicly purge their coffers. It doesn't matter how worthy the cause, the money is stained with blood. They take particular delight in discovering inconsistency within the decisions of church leaders. If a bishop fires an openly gay elementary school teacher, shouldn't he also fire the teacher whose failed marriage could not be annulled by the diocesan tribunal? Isn't religion all about unconditional love of good people and unqualified condemnation of the wicked?  

The Catholic Church has a long memory. Not only do we remember the crimes of powerful Catholics, both lay and cleric, we also recognize the failure of reforms. Some reforms have been schismatic, separating themselves from the institutional church to start a new institution, which becomes as corrupt. 
Other reformers remain within the institution, like Fundamentalists among Protestants and Jansenists among Catholics, to create their own brand of Pharisaic hypocrisy within the congregation. 
There is only one mediator, Saint Paul says, and that is Jesus Christ. The Christian who understands that is willing to work with other sinners, admiring their good qualities and dealing with their shortcomings. Anchored in the Lord, they are willing to take risks with people; and when these ventures fail, they kick the dust from their feet and take their confidence elsewhere. "Just because that person violated me," they say, "doesn't make me a bad person, nor does it reflect on God's goodness."
Like Jesus, Saint Paul was familiar with betrayal. And like Jesus, he knew the Spirit that would never fail. He built his house on the rock of faith, not on the sands of friendship or party loyalty. He knew his own sins and the sins of others. With that wisdom he could ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority....