“They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.
In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.”
(Isaiah 11:9-10)

In these days of pandemic and social upheaval, many are looking to political leaders to rise up and restore order and peace. Perhaps they also look up to celebrities and spiritual gurus in the hope that they can forget all their troubles and make sense out of life. Or else they indulge their sensual appetites in an attempt to numb their deep felt pain and fear. And we see at Christmas a  nostalgic longing for a simpler life.

We who have faith in Jesus also look for relief from the pain chaos of modern life. And so at  Advent we look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. Isaiah’s prophetic words help us to focus on this great event as they present us with a vision what the world will look like when Christ returns. The  Lord will reign supreme. He will establish everlasting peace. All creation will be changed as He undoes all the ill effects of sin. In this age to come then there will be no strife, no war, murder, bloodshed or crime. This is the age all humans long for but never achieve. Thomas More wrote of Utopia, the ideal place, but one which, as the title suggests is nowhere. Many other authors, TV and film writers have written of similar times and places where life is peaceful and ideal, but all humans can do is dream. Sin is so firmly entrenched in our world that though we all long for peace, we find that many actually work against it. Violence and oppression will not cease until King Jesus recreates the earth and rules with justice, love and mercy.

As we wait expectantly for the Second Advent, we work to achieve peace and harmony here on earth. We should be careful not to be sources of hate and strife ourselves. And yet the very gospel message we preach of faith in Christ alone will engender strife. Many do not want to hear about the cross of Jesus for it runs counter to their selfish and sinful ways of living. The truth will lead many to Christ but it will also condemn those who reject and oppose Him. And despite that we still must preach the truth of the Gospel for we are the agents of the Kingdom of God.