August 19, 2007; The 12th Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Jeremiah 23:23-29; Hebrews 12:1-7, 11-14 Luke 12:49-56; Psalm 82.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith No Peace Without Justice Today we encounter an aspect of our faith that can be difficult and uncomfortable. A clergy friend of mine is celebrating a baptism today at his church and he is not thrilled with this gospel reading. Wouldn't it be nicer to hear about Jesus our Good Shepherd or the Prince of Peace. What does this reading say to us about the Christian life? There is grace to be found in our gospel reading if we delve into the reasons that Jesus speaks of division. So often when we speak of the kingdom of God, we name peace as evidence of that spiritual reality breaking into our world. Luke's gospel quotes Jesus as saying that he is not bringing peace, but rather division-division such that families would be in conflict. So much for "family values." But perhaps our Christian faith invites us to embrace a much deeper and broader understanding of family. Perhaps conflict and division can also signs of the kingdom breaking in to our world. As has been said many times by faithful followers of Christ, there is no peace without justice. The peace that we have through Jesus is costly-Good Friday is certainly evidence of the cost. Jesus spoke of love, peace, and healing and he was killed. When we are following Jesus, we will encounter the same situations that he did, which include conflict with those who are not seeking a just world. Often people think that being a Christian means that you are always nice; that it is not Christian to be angry. God has given us emotions for a reason. When we see injustice, when we see situations that offend our sense of what is right, it is natural that we will be angry. We will not be able to just go along with and unjust situation when we are living into our faith fully. For some this will mean claiming a truth that will create division with even within their own families. Jesus comes to bring peace through the justice that he calls forth from us. Striving for justice can create division. The way to true peace is a difficult path. There may have been a time in your life, or there may be a time yet to come, when your faith directly influenced your choice to confront or challenge injustice. That happened in powerful ways during the civil rights movement and happens still when we challenge prejudice in any form. Jesus' truth does not require that we get along with everyone; it does demand that we seek and serve all persons in Christ's name. When we respect the dignity of every human being we challenge those who are "ok" with poverty and hunger in the world. You may have heard the clever saying that the Christian faith is intended "to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." Jesus came to comfort us in all our troubles and in our personal struggles-he is our shepherd; he is with us. But we do not want to get caught-up in a theology that is focused primarily on our own salvation. There are those whose personal relationship with Jesus is everything to the exclusion of other matters. On the other hand, there are those whose focus on justice issues becomes everything. I have known wonderful Christians who lost sight of God in their efforts to save the world. In the Episcopal Church, we seek a balance. We maintain that Jesus is our personal Savior, but not our private Savior. And as we come to know God through Christ, we come to a deeper knowledge of just who our family is or can be. We come to know more fully the love of God for all people. "Family values" take on a whole new meaning when we see all people as part of our family in God. So a commitment to Jesus can strain other relationships if we come to see that because of issues related to justice or morality, the relationships cannot be maintained. That can also be conflict within ourselves as discussed in today's reading from the letter to the Hebrews. Being an active Christian who is one on the inside as well as the outside can cause a lot of discomfort. During times of conflict with the powers of injustice, we can be comforted with the knowledge that Jesus is with us in those struggles. In the end darkness cannot withstand the power of Christ. Therefore, as stated in the letter to the Hebrews, "let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:1-2)." Amen.