Published August 10, 2017 as part of "Thanksgiving."
Posted as its own chapter on October 2, 2017.
"Keeping the Covenant"
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation." Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. ~ Philippians 2:14-16
After making the "covenant," as he thought of it, Lance wondered if it had been arrogant of him to make such promises. Was he putting himself on a level with the prophets? Abraham had gotten away with negotiating with God, but he had been a man of righteousness, willing to do whatever God told him.
What if Lance didn't keep his end? His spirit was willing but his flesh could turn out to be weak. The Bible was all about how God's people failed to keep their covenant, and how God punished them, but then sent prophets to tell them how to change, and stayed faithful to them despite how much they wronged Him.
Lance knew himself well enough to know he would not be able to change his character or habits overnight. Sin and conversion and holiness did not work that way, as he knew from both education and experience. His Protestant acquaintances on Earth talked about salvation like it was a one-time event, but his Catholic mentors described it as a process, a continual renewal. That was why they had the sacrament of Confession, so they could examine their consciences regularly and figure out how to improve.
It might be a good show of faith to start keeping his part of the bargain now, instead of waiting for God to fulfill the request. It would show his ability and willingness to change, and might make the transition easier when the prayer was finally answered.
He tried to pray every day, after he woke up and before he went to sleep. He echoed his petition for Shiro, affirming his promises, and asked for help in keeping them. Freeing planets in the aftermath of Zarkon's apparent defeat left him too busy to say the rosary every day, but he tried to do it at least once a week, on Sunday, when he knew his family and others on Earth were attending Mass or worshiping God whatever way they knew how.
He tried to show Keith more respect and sympathy. It was clear that Shiro's absence was harder on him than on anyone else. So Lance tried to talk to him as he would to any friend that was going through a hard time. Not that he stopped all the teasing and criticizing at once, but he eased off, and offered words of encouragement when appropriate.
Accepting Keith as the leader was hard, but it kind of tied in with his promise to serve the team and defend the universe without seeking glory for himself. In Lance's eyes, Keith did not seem like the right person to lead, but the Black Lion chose him, so it must have seen something in him that made him qualified. Maybe it was like how God chose prophets and saints who seemed like the least qualified people for the tasks He gave them. How did that saying go? "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." If whatever powered the lions and connected them to the paladins had anything holy or God-willed about it, then Keith must be the one God wanted to lead the team.
The other person he had to change his attitude toward was Allura. The first step to watering down his playboy act would have to be the way he interacted with her, because Lance flirted with her more than any other girls, since she was the one she saw the most regularly. (Well, there was also Pidge, but Lance never flirted with her because there were too many reasons not to.)
It helped that they had serious situations and somewhat heavy conversations, during which flirting was not opportune. And when things were not so urgent, Lance tried talking to Allura normally. Lance found that he could actually express things that would have sounded flirtatious just by changing his tone—like when he saw her pink paladin uniform for the first time.
He was glad to be leaving Blue in the hands of someone as capable as Allura. At least, until she tried to fly Blue the way she flew the Castle. But she learned fast, even when under pressure. Seeing Allura work as a paladin actually did more to increase Lance's involuntary respect than his resolution to consciously treat her better.