Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
For my wife and I, this has been a summer of weddings and reunions. The reunions included my high school class from Brillion, and three family reunions. I looked forward to, and enjoyed, each one of them. They were opportunities to be re-united with classmates I hadn’t seen in many years, with my wife’s family, with relatives from my Mom’s side of the family, and then with relatives from my Dad’s side of the family.
The fond memories of re-unions, past and present, stand in sharp contrast to the words of Jesus that we hear in Luke 12:49-53. “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…” These words can come across as overly harsh. Why division? Why not unity? Part of the answer lies in reflecting on the re-union that is at the center of mission of Jesus…the everlasting re-union, the heavenly wedding banquet that all are invited to.
The division that Jesus is referring to is the division of right from wrong, the division of following Jesus versus following false gods. There is no middle ground, and God gives us the freedom to choose which path we will follow. But make no mistake…Jesus laid down his life that ‘all may be one.’ He invites us to choose the path that leads to that great eternal re-union, with Jesus, with our loved ones, and the communion of saints. May we look to Jesus to show us the way to our heavenly re-union, for he tells us…“I am the way, and the truth, and the life!”
Many blessings to you and your family.