Phil 2:12-18 / Luke 14:25-33
The litigious character of American society has become a source of both distress and downright weariness for most citizens. No matter what the problem, the instinct of too many of us is to sue first and ask questions later. “Whom can I blame?” and “What can I get?” are not the first questions that healthy people and honest people ought to be asking. Yet those are the first questions that too many of us ask.
Our reading from St. Paul today suggests that this is no new phenomenon. The early Christians had to be reprimanded for much the same thing, which in the end is reducible to a self-centeredness that cares neither for justice nor for the peace and harmony of the community.
Paul urges them and us to think in larger terms and thus “to shine like stars.” A very special part of our vocation as Christians is to become peacemakers, namely, to develop the habit and the skill of bringing people together, not just by splitting the difference, but by seeking justice and peaceful souls. Doing that always requires that we let go of ego, of the need to be right, and of the need to get even.
Peacemaking requires a largeness of heart and a breadth of vision that ultimately only God can supply. That tells us where we need to begin when conflict approaches. We need to begin with the Lord who is always there for us and is always enough for us.
Trust that and you will become like Jesus, a maker of peace.
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