Word to the Wise
Thursday, October 22, 2009 - Thursday in the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time
[Romans 6:19-23 and Luke 12:49-53]Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.
Jesus' prediction would sadly come true because human powers would either resist being replaced or else would "take over" Christianity and use it as a means to earthly power. His description of what would happen in families could find an echo in the experience of many of us. I have counseled many a college student trying to come to terms with faith and being worried about the impact of their struggles on their parents and siblings! On the historical level, Jesus' preaching made it clear that Caesar was not the true king of the known world. This clearly put Jesus at odds with the political reality of his local situation! The Roman soldiers were ample evidence of Caesar's power. The sign over Jesus' head on the cross was a warning to anyone who dared to oppose Rome, and the ultimate destruction of the temple in Jerusalem was Rome's "final solution" to the Jewish national hopes. Yet, Christianity (and Judaism) would survive this exercise of power and all those similar to it. This, however, has meant almost constant conflict as human desires for more and more power put them in conflict with God's reign. The message of Jesus is a non-violent one. We must continue to preach that non-violent message until human beings realize that greater power exists in peace and service. There are many examples to inspire us if only we weren't so busy building weapons and defending boundaries. AMEN
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