“I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing!”

Starting fires and setting relatives against each other seems like rather harsh words from the mouth of Jesus who consistently lived and taught what God told Moses to tell the Chosen People – to love God with our whole heart, mind, soul and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves.  If we read the words of Jesus in the bright light of his life and teachings, we will understand that he does not intend or desire for families and others be divided.  But he was aware that those who chose to follow and imitate him by loving people and using things to demonstrate that love would be rejected and abused by family and others who cling to cultural attitudes of selfishness that loves things and uses people.  The blaze Jesus wished had already started is the fire of love that burns away self-centeredness and makes way for love of others.  That blaze flickers in our world but Jesus expects us to make that fire much brighter by loving our neighbor as ourselves.  Imagine a world on fire with such love.  Imagine us as the source of that fire.