Thumbing through Isaiah recently I was startled to find this: after a passage (in Isaiah 19) in which the prophet describes horrors that caused the hearts of the Egyptians to "melt within them," he predicts that "the people will turn to the Lord, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them." The next lines describe how three bitter enemies-Egypt, Assyria, and Israel-will "worship together" and how all three will become "a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.'" What a picture!
Like the ancient Egyptians, those who died in Southeast Asia on December 26 (and since then) are in God's hands. But among the living amazing things have happened. Will they last? In Sri Lanka, where a decades-old conflict has killed twice as many people as died in the tsunamis, Tamil Tigers and Sinhalese have joined forces in common relief efforts. So have Hindus and Muslims in India.
The United States has an unprecedented opportunity to embrace Muslims of many nations as the fellow humans they are, not only with disaster relief but with genuine compassion and generosity. The world has been struck; what would happen if we let God heal us? Why can't the miracle described in Isaiah 19 happen today? Why can't forgiveness and peace heal the wounds of today's wars-including the petty wars that fracture so many of our relationships?
What If
What if we grasped the moment that is now (don't ask me when; don't ask me how) and every person on the street became the most important one to meet?
What if the Hindu fishermen (the ones their Muslim neighbors sheltered in a mosque) called on all Indians of whatever faith to end sectarian strife?
What if the Tamil Tigers (who lost so many children in the waves) decided not to send any more child soldiers to fight their Sri Lankan war?
What if in the USA (tell me, why can't it happen today?) the Christians put their weapons away and disarmed their enemies with love?
What if the Laskar mujahedeen (who killed Christians on the Malukus) called on their brothers and sisters worldwide to embrace nonviolence and peace?
Why can't it happen now (while hands are helping and hearts are hurting) that we remove all obstacles to make this and much, much more possible?
Or will our hands and hearts and minds (united now in a common humanity) trade shovels, grief, and generosity for guns and greed and animosity?
What if we grasped the moment that is now (now we know when; now we know how) and not put off what we can do today for tomorrow, when all could be washed away?
You may reprint this article free of charge providing you use the following credit box: Article by Bill Wiser, a member of the Bruderhof - an international communal movement dedicated to a life of simplicity, service, sharing, and nonviolence. (http://www.bruderhof.com/).
Who said religion has to last a lifetime?When I was... Read More
Why MeAs a Christian I feel the need to say... Read More
As you will see in the Scripture verses listed below,... Read More
"See I am doing a new thing! Now it springs... Read More
In our last study, we looked at understanding prayer. In... Read More
You are now inside one of the top theological schools... Read More
I find myself amazed and appalled that such strong antipathy... Read More
With the passing of Arafat, the Middle East will take... Read More
Part Three continuedIt is important to recover and relearn the... Read More
Sometimes it is hard to know where to start even... Read More
This article was inspired by a book by E. W.... Read More
PREFACE TO UNDERSTANDING APOSTASY AND DECEPTIONIn the "last days" the... Read More
As the human race maps out the genome and unlocks... Read More
Why does every one believe that Jesus is the son... Read More
Figure out which Christian Leader goes with which description ?A.... Read More
These next two verses are extreme - and I mean... Read More
And God hath set some in the church, first apostles,... Read More
God is God and besides Him, there is no other.... Read More
Surely, Not All Evils!(circa 2000)St. Paul wrote a letter to... Read More
Kingdom of Heaven is Ridley Scott's way of trying to... Read More
One reason the rescue and relief effort regarding Katrina has... Read More
Revelation 20:1-20:10Politics and Christianity - there has been many an... Read More
Let's be honest: Too many Christian books are nothing but... Read More
The powerful tsunami that on Dec. 26, 2004, hit the... Read More
Today we are looking at one of the most beautiful... Read More
... Read More
One point many Christian Working Moms who have been interviewed... Read More
Today, sitting in my pink armchair, reading about how a... Read More
According to CNN, Catholics voted for President Bush over Senator... Read More
The dictionary explains strength as being endurance, force, bravery, spirit... Read More
Christian books and supplies can be found at places that... Read More
What does the Religious Right really want? Well, besides power,... Read More
To learn who you are in Christ, you must know... Read More
Consider the past. A time when we were prosperous and... Read More
During His ministry, Jesus often made references to His impending... Read More
Can you imagine Biblical "End-Times" prophecies happening in your lifetime?... Read More
After the last bowl judgment is thrown by God the... Read More
Should we be tempted to believe that our system of... Read More
Have you ever wondered what is power and where does... Read More
Have you ever looked into a mirror and wondered what... Read More
The world that we live in today is in imminent... Read More
I want to say a word about faith. Recent events... Read More
To live "under the law" is to live under the... Read More
Now many confuse love with admiration and most commonly sexual... Read More
At the heart of Christianity is a cross; and one... Read More
Recently, the Presbyterian Church (USA) beat a drum for justice.... Read More
In the children's section of any bookstore, books on the... Read More
In part 1 of this series of end time articles,... Read More
As believers, we have a responsibility to care for those... Read More
The ark must have been much larger than the dimensions... Read More
Why MeAs a Christian I feel the need to say... Read More
Real nobility feeds on its own intrinsic value, as a... Read More
Before we get the new heaven and new earth, there... Read More
This article will deal with the next set of judgments... Read More
This is the event that has already occurred. In 70... Read More
The Catholic Church is kind of like a forest sometimes.... Read More
Of a truth, the physical manifestations of God's answers to... Read More
The European Union has seen a huge influx of Muslims... Read More
The Rapture of the Church will be the most startling... Read More
Today we are looking at one of the most beautiful... Read More
Luke 11:10-11:13I was raised up in the rural parts of... Read More
And even though Jesus was God's Son, He had to... Read More
The Christian Church believes that at the close of the... Read More
Today, sitting in my pink armchair, reading about how a... Read More
Who said religion has to last a lifetime?When I was... Read More
The words "rose of Sharon" comes out of the Old... Read More
Religion |