“Jesus said to his disciples:

‘I have come to set the earth on fire,

and how I wish it were already blazing!

There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,

and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!

Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?

No, I tell you, but rather division.

From now on a household of five will be divided,

three against two and two against three;

a father will be divided against his son

and a son against his father,

a mother against her daughter

and a daughter against her mother,

a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.’”

If your family is like mine, I’m sure you’ve had the experience at a family gathering where the conversation turns to politics, religion, or (possibly) sports. How quickly tempers can flare, tensions grow, and temperatures rise. Jesus’s words above sound like he is preparing us for exactly that! One of Jesus’s titles, and a way we often think about him, is Prince of Peace. This isn’t a milk toast, lowest common denominator, avoidance of conflict type of peace. No, it is a peace based on truth in love and truth can often disrupt before it heals. 

The fire Jesus wishes that was already blazing is the fire of God’s love, of the Holy Spirit. It is a transforming fire and when we catch blaze, we can’t remain neutral. Our faith becomes more than a Sunday routine, it becomes the center of everything in our lives. That can even create friction with those closest to us. But that same fire that can divide, also unites us in the one body of Christ, the Church. When the gift of faith given to us at our baptism becomes fully alive, it unites us to Christ and to each other. It brings peace and unity, not based on minimizing differences, but based on the reality that we are all equally valued and loved by God. When we walk by the baptismal font and enter the church, none of us are a VIP Catholic. We are all sinners seeking God’s mercy, beloved children of God, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 

The unity forged by the fire of God’s love allows for a diversity of gifts, cultures, perspectives, and opinions. It is all centered, however, on the truth of the gospel. We are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church with many expressions. The fire of God’s love doesn’t erase differences, but it burns away sin and pride so that we can offer our unique gifts for the good of the whole. Of course, in the life of our community, disagreements can (and sometimes do) happen—over, for example, music, ministries, or leadership decisions. Those disputes may even feel as heated as the ones Jesus describes. In the midst of conflict, we must remember that each person, even the one we struggle with, is equally loved by God and worthy of dignity, respect, and patience. The unity we find in Christ doesn’t mean avoiding conflict, but it does mean we handle conflict with charity, keeping Jesus at the center, and seeking the good of the whole body. 

When the fire of God’s love burns in us, it overcomes our divisions, separates us from old ways to be more fully united with Christ and with each other, and ensures that no one is overlooked or left behind. That fire shines a light in the darkness of our world. It is a beacon of Christ’s love.