Children of Abraham United As Peacemakers

Isaiah 2:2-4

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2In 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. 3Many 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. 4He 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.

Luke 22:47-53

47While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

Many times, with candles burning and hearts warmed by family and friends gathered to comfort one another, we have read these passages at candle vigils for peace on the Eastside and Los Aneleges. In these scriptures, our prayers and songs; we remember God’s enduring vision of a world where there are no more tears. One day there will be no more mothers bearing a broken heart because she has lost her precious child to violence.
Today, Dr Reiter will share with us a beacon of hope from the Holy land. In at least two places in the Holy Land, Jews and Muslims can cooperate and accommodate one another’s need to worship and praise God. In our interfaith dialogues, we discover this eternal truth. As children of Abraham; Jews, Muslims and Christians alike, are called to be peacemakers. Father Abraham and the cloud of witnesses that have gone before us are waiting and hoping us to realize greater peace and reconciliation here on the Eastside and across distant shores in the Holy Land.
Now I’m not naive to presume that soon and very soon, we will create a utopia through our bent knees and strained backs. Like Reihnold Neibuhr, we recognize a realism that there is evil in this world that from time to time we have to confront. Nonetheless, we pray and work for that day when the swords and spears are transformed into instruments that bring us our daily bread instead of daily headlines, “if it bleeds it leads.” As the children of Abraham, we work for this vision of a Wew Jerusalem to come into reality, but our human efforts alone will never make things complete. The Spiritual descendants of Abraham join hearts and hands to grow closer and closer to this vision of what God has created us to be. As fellow instruments of peace, who see our neighbours near and far as precious and fragile jar of clay carrying the image and destiny of our Creator.
One of things that I continue to press when people question if these tragic losses are God’s will. These bullets, missiles and bombs that bring far too many broken hearts are not part of God’s will. The violence here on the Eastside of St Paul, in the streets of Gaza and Southern Israel are not part of God’s plan. We remember the call of Isaiah and how Jesus lived the final days of his ministry. When Jesus was most tempted to resort to violence he kept the cup that was set for him and healed the temple guards ear. For two thousand years, Jesus’ words transcends the chapters of history. “No more of this!” Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
Our ancestors have endured many oppressive nights. In spite of the hate and rage, we must transcend these poisonous temptations and embrace our higher and truer natures. Jesus reminds us in his Sermon on the Mount the difficult but necessary work of forgiveness and loving our enemies. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5:38–39. “If we practice an eye for an eye and tooth for tooth, we will all be blind and tootheless.”

For too long we have allowed the thirst for revenge to shape our sense of what justice is. We pick and choose from the sacred texts to justify our tit for tat understanding of justice. We don’t wont to swallow the hard and bitter truth that if we are ever to see this new Jerusalem in our lives we must forgive and turn the other cheek. At some point, the madness of this back and forth has to stop. Our hearts and minds must experience the touch of God’s healing Spirit that enables us to forgive and forego our thirst for revenge. Are we willing lay our lives and let go of our temporary and fleeting sense of satisfaction? When will we finally accept that this emptiness will remain long after we our futile attempt to achieve closure through revenge? Its only God’s healing touch and the promise of God’s liberating Spirit that will enable all the Children of Abraham to be united in our common calling to be peacemakers.
May the swords and spears become instruments of food security. May the wounds we have afflicted one another be healed by God’s healing touch. Not only the wounds that bleed, but the scars deep within our hearts and minds that hinder our ability to join hearts and hands as the stars in the sky that God promised to Abraham long ago. May these lights of the new Jerusalem shine brighter and truer, this very hour and forever.