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This desire for a worldly savior is present in the Catholic world, with the hope of a great monarch found in modern private revelations. These fictional characters, unlike Jesus, are fighters who use the sword or wand or lightsaber to kill their enemies to bring peace, restore balance or reinstate order. These Christ figures are rooted in Biblical imagery, but they are merged with the non-Biblical idea of a political and militaristic messiah. Our culture is full of movies and books that prophesize about “the One” from Harry Porter to Aragon to Neo to Luke Skywalker. The hope for a political savior, who will bring peace, is alive and well. During his public life, he did not challenge or rebel against the Romans, who oppressed the Jews, and when sentenced to death by the authorities, he did not call for any resistance against them. He was not a political or militaristic messiah. Jesus explained in the above passage that he was not going to bring worldly peace. Thus, war-wary Jews in the time of Jesus hoped for a messiah, in the tradition of King David, who would be a political or military leader and bring peace to their nation. The Old Testament chronicles battle after battle fought over this territory, and this incessant warfare continues to the present day. On the other hand, its location next to several great powers made it an area of near-constant warfare. On the one hand, this place is an ideal location for the Incarnation, as any message could quickly be spread to most ancient civilizations. The Promised Land, the land given to Abraham and his descendants and the land where God became man, is at the crossroads of three continents. The historical context of the statement is key to understanding its meaning. What does it mean that Jesus does not come to bring peace but the sword? Most Gospel passages provide me with clarity on the first reading, but not the passage cited above. I have turned to my Catholic faith and the words of Jesus to guide me during these troubling times. Commentators flaunt their biases and promote misinformation in the pursuit of personal advancement - disregarding any attempt toward building a sense of solidarity with those who hold different positions. Our political leaders, while they call for unity, appear dead set on pushing their partisan agendas. Like many Americans, I am concerned by the growing divisions in our country and the empty promises to heal those divisions. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household” (Matthew 10:34-36). “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.