May 2018 – downacountryroadblog

^{Isaiah 2:2-4}

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

In a garden at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York City there is a sculpture of a man “beating a sword into a plowshare,” a symbol of the hope of the world that if people would come together to discuss their differences, they could put an end to war and use those resources for peaceful purposes. The United Nations was born out of the desire for peace. After two devastating world wars people wanted to believe that reasonable people could resolve their differences without destroying one another.

But they did not take into account the sinful nature of man.

Peace – true peace – will only come in God’s time and by God’s plan.

Until that time there will be wars and rumors of wars as people try to gain power over others. Until that time good people will die in the battle to protect the innocent victims of the power struggle.

And we will continue to honor those who die in that struggle.

As long as there are those who are willing to kill for what they want, there will be others willing to die to defend the rights of all people. It is those we honor this day. Men and women who chose to defend the cause of freedom and the pursuit of peace even at the cost of their own lives.

^{Micah 4:1-5}

But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it.

And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.

For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.