1 Timothy 2:5-7

“For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all…” vss. 5-6a

Like us the early followers of Jesus lived in an age of religious pluralism. Gods of every shape and form were worshipped in every forum of every major city. Their temples and altars abounded. Today’s text, a liturgical fragment from that time, states the core of the Christian message for that context. There is one God, not many gods; and one mediator between God and humankind, the man known to Christians as Christ Jesus. Those early believers weren’t one bit embarrassed about their exclusive claim but boldly proclaimed it wherever they went. We’ve lost that boldness in our context, almost afraid to say what we believe for fear of being accused of religious bigotry or provoking controversy. Sometimes we’ll even water down our faith statements in the hope of making them acceptable to everyone. The resulting blandness ultimately undermines the core of our proclamation by negating the message of the cross. Jesus gave his life..and what Jesus did, he did for all! Our exclusive claim is inclusive!  And that’s good news for every person on our planet, no matter what faith family they belong to. When we keep silent, that gospel is not heard!

Thought for the Day: What’s the relationship between proclamation and conversion?