No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor
ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls
Salvation and your gates Praise. – Isaiah 60:18
No matter who we are, where we are
from, or whatever we do, we all want peace in our neighborhoods, communities,
country, and world. As a species, we have been fortunate to survive eons of anger,
conflict, and violence. As a planetary people, we have been tainted with the
sins of inhumanity, cruelty, and hostility. Sometimes we wake up and wonder
where it will all end. Sometimes we see no solution to the violence; sometimes
we feel there is no answer to all of the conflicts across the world.
And yet, we worship Christ as the
Prince of Peace, so we basically believe that all of this hostility will end.
We put our faith in God who is holy, just, and good, so there will be a passing
away of all of these tragedies and conflicts. We ardently hope and look forward
to a day as foretold by the prophet Isaiah, when God’s salvation will surround
and protect us, when we will find the gate that leads to an everlasting time of
peace, praise, joy, and love.
At the end of the Bible, in the Book
of Revelation, we can read these beautiful words which echo those spoken by
Isaiah:
‘And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will dwell with
them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be
their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no
more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for those former things will have
passed away.”’
-
Revelation 21:3-4.
So let us not give up hope, but instead
may we keep praying for peace and that violence will come to an end. Let us
seek justice in our communities and show true love to one another. In doing so,
we will discover God’s peaceable Kingdom on Earth and Christ’s grace in our daily
lives.
Questions for personal reflection
Where can I spread
peace and love in my life? How can I support those who seek justice in my
community?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, the challenges that we
face today have always been a sorrowful part of the human condition. Long ago,
You spoke words of peace and love, justice and mercy in order to help us build
a better world, a brighter future, and a basic foundation for Your Kingdom on
Earth. Help us at this crucial time to seeks Your ways and apply Your words in
our lives, wherever we go, whatever we do, and whomsoever we meet. In Your Holy
Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the Scottish pastor of Erin
Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to ask
questions or make comments about today’s message, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s drawings called ‘Prince of Peace.’ If you would like to
view a larger version, please click this link: Prince.
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