Jesus said, "Perhaps people think that I have come to cast peace upon the world. They do not know that I have come to cast conflicts upon the earth: fire, sword, war. For there will be five in a house: there'll be three against two and two against three, father against son and son against father, and they will stand alone. (16 Thomas)

It is a difficut saying. There are, however, close parallels in all of the synoptic gospels, especially Luke 12.

The saying has certainly proven to be true. Sectarian and religious conflict divides the world. Those with Christian aspirations have wielded fire, sword, and war as much as others.

The synpotic gospels imply this is part of a process by which good and evil are separated. I wonder if it is a way good is tested and even refined.

Conflict - life threatening or not - tends to expose our fundamental character. In the heat of battle can we continue to empathize, extend mercy, even to love our enemy?

Surely we will often fail. But what if we could bring such values even to war? How might that help in winning ultimate peace.