RBWords

     One of the saddest things about religious faith is that it can lead to the destruction of fundamental human relationships that were created "in the beginning."  In Jesus' time family, clan and tribe were the fundamental social units of belonging.  To be rejected by any of those could mean starvation.  This is why widows and orphans were the most vulnerable and worthy of charity in the Bible.  In my pastoral and itinerant ministry experience I have encountered Catholic parents who have literally disowned their own children because of religious differences.  I have met students who have become involved in religious sects that demanded that they reject their families in favor of belonging to the sect!  On a broader level, "shunning" in one form or another occurs in almost all major religious families.  Jesus speaks to this as a form of persecution that disciples of his must expect!!!  The Gospel According to Luke does not simply report his prediction but is also describing what was going on when the gospel was written!

     Jesus also speaks of perseverance as the ultimate way through religious persecution.  This has a different degree in societies where major religious families clash - Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Moslem, Buddhist - and riots or draconian punishments take place.  I would suggest that perseverance in love based on the relationships that God put in place "in the beginning" should offer a way.  Pope Francis' recent encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, is worthy of the effort to get through its considerable length.  Ridding our world of religious persecution could be a supreme achievement.  It could certainly make discipleship more attractive!  AMEN