Advent

November 22, 2022

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 2:1-5
The word that 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 of the mountains,
   and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
   Many peoples shall come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
   to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
   and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
   and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war anymore.
O house of Jacob,
   come, let us walk
   in the light of the Lord!

As challenging and heartbreaking as pulling our troops out of Afghanistan was, I think it was the right thing to do. What we have not noted well is that this is the first time in over 20 years that we have not been at war, declared or not.  We do not know what is going to happen in Ukraine or if Russia will move into NATO countries that might immediately thrust us into another war. Now is the time, however, to re-think our relationships with other nations and how we can move further away from violence as a cure for anything.

One of the goals we need to work on is making sure that every person in our world has enough—enough food, clothing, shelter, health care, safety, and a safe climate. A living wage for everyone would make a significant difference in each of these necessities. Ultimately it is the Kingdom of God, the Beloved Community.

Prayer: Lord, help us identify our role in developing the Beloved Community and empower us to fulfill it at our best. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.