Divided we Stand

This week's gospel features a Jesus with which we are unfamiliar. Our usual image of Jesus is "meek and mild." And there is certainly biblical evidence which validates that characterization. But Jesus has another side, as do most of us. A passionate side. A fiery side. An angry side, you might even say. And he lets it loose in this passage from Luke.

He promises his followers division and unrest, instead of peace. He promises the break up of families and the loss of friends. He promises just about everything opposite of what we'd imagine his ministry might effect. Sounds harsh, but Jesus is only describing reality--the way the world is.

Not everyone will rush to your side when you witness to them. Some will be disinterested, some openly hostile. I went to visit a parishioner at his workplace recently, wearing my clerics, and the reaction we got as we walked around varied from smiles and hellos, to active looking anywhere else, to mild jokes and questioning looks. And not a word was spoken about Jesus or God--I wonder what would have happened if the conversation led in that direction!

That's the mission field we are called into. And it's not such a bad thing. Divided we stand. We stand together with those who are all over the board when it comes to the church-we interact with them each day. Over 60 % of folks have no church home. Most times we look at that statistic with mournfulness But truth is, this spells opportunity for us. not to force our beliefs down someone's throat--but to witness with our daily lives to their daily lives.

For instance, the company I visited has a wonderful ethic. The employees volunteer at various charities, ten percent of profits are donated, the golden rule appears in their motto, and there is deep and real concern for the environment. These are points of connection with the teachings of Jesus. Witnessing to fellow workers here could build upon these common altruistic acts, adding to them the reason we, as Christians, do such things.

But why is Jesus so strident about this? I think he wants to shock us out of the rose-colored image we have of the world and evangelism. But even more, I believe that he is challenging us to go and engage people in dialog about our beliefs. That despite our differences, we all share the finite nature of humanity, and therefore the need to make sense out of what this world means--what we're supposed to be doing. We do that together. And we all have a voice.