“Peaceful Living – Living for Justice!”
Second Sunday of Advent – A
Our reading from the Prophet Isaiah is one that many of us remember from year to year. One can close their eyes as this reading is proclaimed and see the characteristics of a just and peaceful society. This is the prophecy that Isaiah brought to the people longing for their Messiah to come. This is the prophecy that Isaiah brought to a people longing for freedom from oppression and desiring peace in their lives. This prophecy is still what we long for today! When we watch the nightly news and hear of all the murders, violence and war, all we can think about is “when will we have peace?”
Isaiah’s disillusionment with the kings of his own day led him to discern the contours of an ideal King, a royal figure who would rule the people according to the mind and heart of the Lord God. More and more the hopes of the Jewish people long for one who would rule with divine approval and be led by divine wisdom united around prophecies such as the one we hear today.
This lyrical description does not commit Isaiah to a utopian promise on which he cannot possibly deliver. His words, however, propel us out of physical reality and into the realm of imagination. We sometimes get caught up in the belief that none of us will ever live to witness the “peaceable kingdom,” either in the natural world or in the social order; yet we listen to these beautiful lines over and over again each year with a profound sense, not only of longing for justice, peace, equality for all and harmony, but also of possibility. How is it possible for the world to end up like Isaiah’s prophecy?
Onto the stage steps John, the Baptist. John – the precursor to the Messiah preaches a message of repentance. A voice for the entire world; not a republican, not a democrat, not a libertarian or socialist, but a voice for ALL the people. This voice cries out to let us know that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Similarly, last week, St. Paul said, “awake from sleep, for now is the time to put on the armor of light,” John warns us, who at times, are so similar to the Pharisees and Sadducees that we can’t even tell the difference, that in order for this utopian society that Isaiah speaks of to come about we need to repent – change our ways and our attitudes; toward one another and society as a whole.
It is time for us, as God’s people, to move away from those acts that separate us into groups. This country and the world is so deeply divided right now that it is truly frightening. It is time for us to move away from separating ourselves from those who are different than us. It is time to move away from acts that bring about injustice to another human person. It is time to move away from hateful and discriminatory attitudes, words and actions, and live as People of God!
In order for us to live as a society, even remotely similar to what Isaiah describes, we must look into the other person’s eyes, and as Pope Francis tells us – see Christ. Until we can do that we cannot hope for justice in our land, we cannot hope for peace in the world, we cannot hope for love to be unconditional in our lives, we cannot hope to grow and be a spiritually vibrant people – where all of God’s people are welcome to dwell among us and be – as God made them to be!
“Come, Flower of Jesse’s stem.” We long for justice, love, and Peace!