Jesus’s warning about persecution isn’t meant to scare us off, but to make sure we enter into our relationship with him with clear eyes and free hearts. Over the course of Church history, many have answered Christ’s call, living the Gospel boldly even when it resulted in rejection or persecution from worldly powers. A direct line runs from the martyrdom of early Roman Christians who refused to sacrifice to pagan gods, to the 2016 murder of Catholic-raised Honduran environmental activist Berta Cáceres.

In his seminal 1973 address “Men and Women For Others,” Fr. Pedro Arrupe, 28th Superior General of the Society of Jesus, said that today Christians must have “an attitude not simply of refusal but of counterattack against injustice; a decision to work with others toward the dismantling of unjust social structures so that the weak, the oppressed, the marginalized of this world may be set free.” Our faith, in other words, demands action.

This action will provoke a response, especially when it disrupts the “negative peace” that allows our sinful social structures to flourish and perpetuate. It’s not easy to do or say things that might get a negative reaction. Speaking for myself, I am often tempted to stay silent, to keep my faith and convictions private, because it would be much easier.

But the social teaching of the Church reminds us that we must be bold in living out the call of the Gospel, even when it’s challenging. The prophets, Christ, and the disciples stand as examples, but I’m sure we can all think of personal examples as well: ordinary people who model God’s peace, justice, and mercy with courage and authenticity.

It’s meaningful that Jesus cites divisions among family members in the Gospel. It’s unlikely that a ruler will order us tossed into a cistern, as Zedekiah does to Jeremiah. Instead, most of the direct challenges we’ll face when living the Gospel will come from those closest to us. Maybe it’s the parent who asks, “But how are you going to make a living doing that?” or the friends who roll their eyes when you try to make a radical commitment to sustainability. Not all of those people are ill-intentioned: in many cases, they are expressing their love and concern for us. But it is love and concern hemmed in by the assumptions and fears of the world, suspicious of the wild, expansive possibilities of God.

For many of us, the fear of disappointing or alienating our family and friends might be more intimidating than going to an advocacy meeting or facing down a wall of police in riot gear. But that is a fear that we need to overcome in order to truly follow Christ’s call. As always, we must overcome fear with love: I’m not advocating for causing havoc at the dinner table or cutting your siblings out of your life because of their politics. But we should continue speaking up for what’s right – standing in solidarity with Christ’s poor – even though it may lead to some awkward conversations at the holidays. The goal, in my mind, isn’t to win arguments but to convert through example and witness, and to keep loving even when those efforts are rejected.