By Claire Franz, a sophomore history and secondary education major from Lakewood, Colorado
Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)
The book of Isaiah is full of prophecies and visions, which fits Isaiah’s occupation as one of the most well-known Old Testament prophets. Chapter two, for example, starts with such a vision, as Isaiah sees God’s word made into action. The prophet describes “the mountain of the Lord’s house” becoming “the highest of mountains,” the center of God’s teaching. Isaiah foretells people coming from all nations to “beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” All will “walk in the light of the Lord.”
The world Isaiah describes seems pure and holy, a reality where people’s focus is on following God’s ways. They leave judgment, hatred and war behind and instead focus on providing for themselves and their families. It’s a paradise, but there’s a catch: Isaiah prefaces the vision he sees with “in days to come.” We have to be patient. We have to wait.
Living in this world today, I often find it so hard to wait. Where is the light Isaiah promised? In this chaos of nations fighting nations, of people starving or fleeing or dying, where is the healing, loving hand of God?
How do we keep living if there is only darkness, though? Psalm 23 tells us not to fear when we walk in the darkness because God is with us, even there. We have to trust that Isaiah’s light is somewhere in this messy world. I see it in those who still interact with the world and take care of themselves even when they are struggling with unimaginable things. I find hope in leaning on others and being their support in turn. We are all still waiting on Isaiah’s vision, but I see the path to that high mountain.
Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5 (NRSV)
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. 5O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!