The Letter

25/9/2025

A Reflection on the Second Reading for September 28th, 2025:
Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

James 2:1-5

As for you, man of God; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time. He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no human being has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Were I to write a letter to one of my children, I would lovingly include words of encouragement, instruction and advice. My hope would be that the words the letter contained would guide them as they journeyed through life. Saint Paul, the author of this letter, is not only writing to another believer, but to one he considers a spiritual son: Timothy (1 Timothy 1:2). Because all scripture is Holy Spirit-inspired (2 Timothy 3:16), this passage, and indeed all of scripture, assumes a weighty glory. It becomes a letter not just from Saint Paul to Timothy, but indeed a love letter from God to each of us - a letter that encourages, instructs, and advises.

As this reality sets in, I sit up straighter and read with more intentionality and focus. "As for you, child of God; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses" (1 Timothy 6:11-13). These instructions are very different from the ones the secular world touts as being what one ought to strive for - recognition, accolades, advancement, possessions and wealth, to name a few.

There are two pivotal parts of a decision. It involves turning away from something and turning toward something, or more accurately Someone. There is a pull in both directions. The struggle is real.

The verbs used in outlining what walking with the Lord looks like jump out at me, for they are not passive and weak but rather active and forceful - flee, pursue, fight, take hold. Walking with the Lord involves turning away from the lure of the fallen world, our sinful self and Satan. This passage draws to our attention six of the right things we are to turn towards: righteousness - right living & relationships; godliness - right attitude; faith - right One in whom to trust; love - right state of heart; patience - right approach; and gentleness - right temperament.

This may seem like a tall order, yet I can’t help but think of the parable of the boy with the two fish and five loaves (John 6:9). He gave what he had to Jesus and with that offering, Jesus was able to feed 5,000 men, plus women and children, even having leftovers. Likewise, we have a part to play as we flee, pursue, fight, and take hold. Yet we are not alone in our efforts. Jesus meets us where we are at and walks with us, strengthening us in our weaknesses, lovingly shaping us as a potter at the wheel, bringing forth so much more than we could ask or imagine.

I can feel the parental love in this passage. It is as if our Father is saying, “Listen to me, my children, many think of eternal life as 'there and later' and not 'here and now' It is here. It is now and it continues into eternity. I am calling you into a life lived not from an earthly perspective but a Kingdom perspective, with the Lord on the throne. Keep your eyes on me, my child, for I am with you, now and forever more."