No fire please

Our open response to the call to conversion has effects which bring awe and thanksgiving to people for the deep love and wisdom of God. This sentiment is expressed in the passage today from the Letter to the Ephesians in the Roman Catholic Lectionary. The author is reflecting on the calling of the Gentiles into the community of followers of Christ in union with the Jewish believers. This unity, peace and love is beyond human expectations and is a work the Holy Spirit revealing through faith the dimensions the unconditional love of God for people. The praise of the psalmist for the steadfast love of God which keeps our soul from death seems to be in discord with the declaration of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke that His passion and resurrection and the reception of the fire of the Presence of God in the Holy Spirit will shatter peace and bring conflict. Friar Jude Winkler and Frank Doyle SJ comment that Jesus is not intending to bring separation but the faithful living the Life of the Spirit will witness by their faith, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, patience and love to a inner transformation which will threaten the domination of society by greed and self serving activity. Jesus complete giving of self in the “baptism” of His passion will destroy the established rules and practices of people in relationship to God and to each other. The awe of the wisdom and love in change of heart too often is preceded by rejection and alienation of the person responding with ‘yes’ in a world which defaults to ‘no’.