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Isaiah 2: 1-5
This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
The mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
That he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks;
One nation shall not raise the sword against another,
nor shall they train for war again.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the LORD!
The Word of the Lord.
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Over the last century, more than 100 million people have died in war.
Currently, there are more than 40 armed conflicts unfolding around our world as people fight over power, politics, theology, and access to scarce resources like land, water, and food.
Even in peaceful nations, smaller types of conflicts arise at work, in our communities, or in our families. Siblings argue over which toy belongs to whom, and later who gets the inheritance. Spouses spat over finances, time spent together, communication, and the kids.
It seems that conflict – whether great or small – has been written into our DNA.
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Yet, the prophet Isaiah foretells in our first reading: “One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again…They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.”
That’s God’s promise to us: everlasting peace between God and his creation, even peace among the human race.
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Advent is an appointed time for us to consider what swords we need to beat into plowshares, or which spears into pruning hooks.
Maybe we’ve become short-tempered; we need the Lord to transform words wielded in anger into words of comfort.
Maybe we need to melt a grudge into an act of forgiveness.
Or selfishness into selflessness.
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While there may be ongoing conflicts around the world for a time, God’s peace is coming and we all have a role in ushering it in.
As we often sing during this holy season, Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
What might that mean for me today?
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Image credits: (1) Fine Art America, Ivanov (2) FPS Foreign Affairs (3) Cat J Pixels