To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. – Titus 1:15

Today’s Scripture Reading (March 22, 2018): Titus 1

The most famous line of Oscar Wilde’s four-act comedy “Lady Windemere’s Fan” also sums up the play’s central theme; “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” The only difference seems to be whether we tend to look down or look up. We are often taught that this difference often divides this world into two types of people: the pessimists and the optimists. But the world never seems to be equally divided between the two groups; it always seems that there are more pessimists than there are optimists.  

Paul seems to be making the argument that as Christians we should be optimists, that we are the ones who see what is pure and positive in the world around us, which seems opposed to most Christians that I know. If we are honest, we seem to be a very pessimistic bunch. We always seem to expect the worst of each other, and often argue that no one’s motives are pure. But Paul argues that that is a symptom of our corruption and not a sign that we have been recreated by the work of the Holy Spirit that lives in us. We believe that all things, at the very least, have the potential to be pure and right. And our belief is based on the God who is active in our lives. We might be stuck in the gutter, but all we can see are the stars.

Every person we meet is loaded with this God-driven potential. No matter how badly our opponents want to characterize us as lonely bitties sticking our noses into everyone else’s business and preaching a message that is stuck on the reality of hell, that is not who we are supposed to be. We are the ones who are looking at the stars and expecting great things of everyone. Because our concentration is on the stars, we expect this world to be a better place. We reject the idea that the world is out to get us, and we want to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

And so we work with a single purpose, to make this world into the place that God desires it to be. We are the ones who see the purity of God’s creation all around us. We believe that love is a positive weapon that can change the world because Jesus believed that. And nothing will stop us from reaching for the stars. We are salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are the ones destined to bring both flavor and light to our communities. We are the optimists who believe that this world can be a better place – a pure place. And we aren’t waiting for heaven.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Titus 2 & 3