“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:14 KJV)
Can I help to transform that proclamation of Jesus’ birth into reality? How can I live it? Isaiah 2 was in my Advent reading with this most famous prophecy about peace on earth:
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
Again, how do we make that our reality? How do we live that? We pray!
Lord Christ,
Isaiah is disturbing
my holiday card Advent
with God’s ideal, God’s path.
It’s jarring, challenging.
Something to ponder
about the last days,
where Jesus leads us.
It will be universal, inclusive:
All nations. Many peoples.
It will be free of coercion
and conflict:
Swords are converted to plows,
spears become pruning tools,
repurposed for cultivation and growth.
Today, I declare a cease fire
in the culture war.
I pledge to disarm my social media.
And I pray that we will lay down our weapons - figuratively, literally.
Let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Amen.