public service

A sign of maturity may be the inner drive to engage in public life for the benefit of others. This is important to emphasize: after the season of building a home and raising a family—once the children have found their way in life—the pace of daily responsibilities and the volume of work often decrease significantly. This shift opens up more time, which can be spent idly, selfishly, or in service of the common good.

Spending an excessive amount of time on entertainment, for instance, may indicate a malfunctioning inner life or an unbalanced spirit. The pursuit of the public good can take many forms—whether through the church or the broader community, in the realm of faith or culture, through sports or teaching practical skills. What truly matters is to serve the community consistently, without pretending to be virtuous or playing the part of the “good man.”