Tis the Season to…Titus 3:4-7When kindness and benevolence appeared through G*d, our savior, appeared, it was not a result of those deeds…. Titus 3:4-6 (A. Carter Paraphrase)It’s commonplace to describe our society as results driven. Metrics, measurables, and product, with good reason, have become outcome-oriented benchmarks that establish and legitimate organizational value, worthiness, and rationale. Such perspectives are important correctives that challenge rigid power structures and inequities. Carrying associations with positive outcomes, metrics often function as indicators and, thus, metaphors for success.We can, however, become over invested in mutated forms of these metric metaphors. With Christmas at times seeming the busiest time of the year, we are occasionally lured into metric-based approaches to Christmas: our love measured in gifts, travel, and tree height; our faith by the relaxation, consumption, service attendance, or donations.This Christmas is an opportunity to remind ourselves anew of the essence of G*d’s love. In today’s passage, many translations render the Greek terms chrystotes (kindness/good) and philanthropia (philanthropy, love for humanity) as good and kindness. Such renderings, while accurate obscure the author’s nuance. For the author of Titus, kindness and benevolence are transformative, they characterize G*d’s orientation to and love for humanity. Neither society’s metrics nor the Church’s measurements can warrant G*d’s liberating love, not even our pursuits for justice. If salvation was metric-based could today’s church in any way justify such sacrifice given by Christ? Titus thematically centers on divine grace and its impact on human social-being. Recognition of such grace inspires us to reflect Christ’s love. The author of Titus measured such love partially by the absence of social discord. Unfortunately, interpreters often seek in Titus, not an articulation of divine grace and love, but decontextualized metrics for faith by legislating of power in church and society through mutated metaphors.This Christmas, might we humbly hear this letter’s testimony on love: a reminder that the source of human salvation has but one immeasurable source, the awe-inspiring kindness and benevolence of G*d.Arthur F. Carter, Jr. Ph.D.Assistant Professor of New TestamentDirector, Black Church Traditions & African American Faith-Life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.