In this age of celebrities and billionaires, of division and ceaseless egos, of technocracy, of everyone striving (on podcasts, in social circles, in politics) for renown, it is good to meditate on 2 Timothy (2:16, 2:23-26, and 3:1-7), periodically re-reading to make sure not to find any such traits in oneself:

“Avoid worldly, idle talk, for those who indulge in it become more and more godless, and the influence of their talk will spread like the plague.

“Have nothing to do with senseless, ignorant disputations. As you well know, they only breed quarrels, and the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but must be kindly toward all. He must be an apt teacher, patiently and gently correction those who contradict him, in the hope always that God will enable them to repent and know the truth. Thus, taken captive by God to do His Will, they shall escape the devil’s trap.

“Do not forget this: there will be terrible times in the last days. Men will be lovers of self and of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, profane, inhuman, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, hating the good. They will be treacherous, reckless, pompous, lovers of pleasure rather than of God as they make a pretense of religion but negate its power.

“Stay clear of them.”

[resources: Bibles]