Michael's Random Thoughts and Photos on Spirituality

The first words Jesus blurts out in today’s Gospel are: “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.”  Wow!  I don’t often think of Jesus as a drama person, he’s normally much more subtle, talking, touching and healing people one by one and usually out of sight from the crowds.  But, if you noticed, Jesus is saying this only to the disciples, I presume in a quiet setting.  So, just what is this fire that Jesus wants to set? This little scene in the life of Jesus displays so boldly the fire in his soul.  But he says: “I want to set the earth of fire.”  When we think of setting the earth on fire, at least when I think of setting the earth on fire, the first image that came to my mind was the horrific fires we had just one year ago that burned Paradise California to the ground; destroyed homes and businesses all over California.  Is this the kind of fire Jesus wants to set?  A destructive fire that makes peopl...