[W]hile Jesus longs for us to live in unity, longs for us to love one another, longs for us to experience the Kingdom of God in our midst, he also knows our struggle. He knows that in our efforts to call out evil when we see it, and yes, misinformation, we will rattle a few bushes, shake a few trees. In other words, we will get into “good trouble.” Because Christ knows that before true communion can occur, we must first seek justice. And inclusiveness. And forgiveness. And healing. Not just for some, but, indeed for all. That is the work before us today. Just as it was the work before those who lived in Jesus’ day.
Today’s gospel tells us that Jesus came to set the world on fire. And he calls us, his disciples, to continue the work he started. He never told us working toward peace and unity would be easy. Or immediate, as much as he wished it was so. Jesus had to trust that new life would emerge from the conflict that led to his passion and death. So too are we called to trust—that when we set a fire for justice, inclusiveness, and radical love, new life will emerge. Just like new life emerges from the charred ruins of the trees in Yellowstone.
--Karen Seaborn
Image source: Young trees grow amid trees burned in the 1988 fire in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, https://peapix.com/bing/25042
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