Today’s gospel focuses on the sending of the seventy-two to preach the Good News. It’s a passage full of promise and uncertainty. I imagine the disciples listened to their commission with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.
Jesus gives them very specific instructions, telling them what to take and how to behave as they travel around the country. On their journey they are called to trust themselves completely to the providence of God and the kindness of strangers.
But he doesn’t send them out completely empty handed. He gives them a gift to pass on to the people they encounter:
“Whatever house you going to, let your first words be, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if people of peace live there, your peace will go and rest on them; if not it will come back to you.”
As we see more and more communities torn apart by war and conflict across the world it’s hard to imagine a time when that peace has been more needed. This peace is no quick papering over of cracks. It’s not the false calm that comes from denying differences or pushing aside injustices, It requires that we do a certain amount of inner work to be able to receive it and share it.
If we are to be people of peace, we have to allow our hearts to be changed. We need to risk letting the stories of the other change us. We have to be willing to let go let go of much that we cherish. We have to accept that we are not right about everything and to be willing to compromise.
Where is Christ calling you to change so that you can accept and share his peace today?