Swords into Ploughshares?

  

                                              Swords into Ploughshares -- Washington National Cathedral 

When [Jesus] he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to set free those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke 4: 16-19 NRSVue

We were up far too early this morning because...we have no idea why we can't sleep longer but this is our reality. We began our preparations for today's family gathering with a lucky 13 of us around the table. We're confident that this will be a peaceable repast. 

I turned on the radio, then the television for the important news that all 20 living Israeli hostages had been released and returned to Israel by Hamas and that approximately 2,000 Palestinians had been let go from Israeli prisons. At times it seemed that this would never come about as fighting raged in Gaza. 

The TV coverage showed US President Trump receiving an extended standing ovation and a trumpet fanfare in Israel's Knesset, celebrated as the ceasefire broker. Many in the crowd wore red Trump the Peace President ball caps.

Benjamin Netanyahu was originally supposed to attend a peace summit in Egypt. Trump, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and about 20 other world leaders are also involved. We've since heard that Netanyahu won't be there for reasons not yet disclosed.

There are plenty of reminders that this ceasefire is not a plan for lasting peace in Gaza and the Middle East. That goal has been elusive for decades with significant efforts made by previous administrations -- remember the Camp David Accords (1978) and the Oslo Accords (1993)?

One of the many thorny issues is the disarmament of Hamas, the terrorist organization which rules Gaza. The military leadership has an extremist outlook fueled by false religion with no regard for the suffering experienced by the two million residents of Gaza. Israel has displayed a shocking disregard for life as well, earning international condemnation. 

For now we can be grateful that the destruction and death has come to an end and that food aid is about to resume. 

Two passages of scripture came to mind this morning, the first where Jesus unrolls the scroll of the prophet Isaiah in his hometown synagogue to proclaim release for captives. The other is also from Isaiah with its vision of a day when war -- all the conflicts of the Earth -- come to an end. 

 As always we can pray that this is the beginning of something concrete and enduring. Shalom to all this Thanksgiving. 

 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.

4 He shall judge between the nations
    and shall arbitrate for many peoples;
they shall beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
    neither shall they learn war any more.

                                    Isaiah 2: 3-4 NRSVue