By Eli Reimer, a senior peace, justice & conflict studies and Bible & religion major from Naperville, Illinois
Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV)
For those unfamiliar, these verses are a prophecy spoken by Zechariah after his son, John (the Baptist), was born. Zechariah speaks about the coming of the Lord, and the fulfillment of God’s covenant with Abraham. After living through the darkness of those days, he envisions a world where God’s kingdom is at hand.
Those last lines, especially, are full of hope:
By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us,
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
They are an invitation to imagine a world where God reigns. More importantly, we are asked to imagine the beginning of that reign. Zechariah does not describe the noon sun, but dawn breaking upon us. We will not already be living in the way of peace, but God will guide us there.
As a kid, one of my favorite songs in church was “Guide My Feet.” Now, that had very little to do with the meaning of the lyrics, and a lot to do with the fact that it’s a very catchy and repetitive song. Still, in the past few years, the song has gained more meaning for me. It’s one of the songs that we sang at my baptism, and the imagery always reminds me of God’s presence when I’m struggling to find my way.
In this prophecy, Zechariah is imagining a future full of hope, where God takes us by the hand and guides us on the journey to peace. May we be brave enough to walk that path together. Amen.
Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 (NRSV)
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them. 69He has raised up a mighty savior for us in the house of his servant David, 70as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, 71that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. 72Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and has remembered his holy covenant, 73the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham, to grant us 74that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, 75in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. 76And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, 79to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”