Third Sunday of Easter, Year C

“I have come to cast fire upon the earth and I would that it were already blazing!”...
~Luke 12:49
 
Yet God my Sovereign is from before time,
working salvation in the midst of the earth.
~Psalm 74:12
 
Perhaps it is a surprise this early in Eastertide, in this season in which we celebrate the triumph of life over death, to encounter texts seemingly aflame with uncertainty, resistance, and conflict. Yet in our Jesus stories, and in all of our sacred texts, the world remained crucified and crucifying even as it was being redeemed. Perhaps to our disappointment, this is no less true now than it was then. And yet, how could it be otherwise?
 
Indeed, this is a challenge, a conundrum of faith. As much as we might prefer to perceive ourselves and our salvation history moving linearly from despair to hope at least, and at best, from strength to strength, such does not seem to be our lot. The choices we and everyone makes have consequences. Resistance rises. Cycles of violence continue—especially against those who do not enjoy the privilege that others do.
 
To pronounce resurrection, to proclaim Easter is not to welcome an unabashed kindom of peace. This gospel story was fired in the crucible of the real world and will not deny real experience. We know all to well that theologies of violence will always compete with theologies of peace—as if reality is even that binary. Indeed, this faith shines a spotlight on and gives voice to all of it as it does a window into our most closely held, and fragile hopes—and the Saving One who is fully present amidst it all.
 
Enter into worship.
 
Readings: Acts 8:1-12 † Psalm 74:1-12 † Ephesians 6:10-18 † Luke 12:49-53
 
About the Art: Koenig, Peter. Flame Resurrection, 1963. https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/Portfolio/flame-resurrection [retrieved April 28, 2025]. Original source: Peter Winfried (Canisius) Koenig, https://www.pwkoenig.co.uk/.

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