Swords into ploughshares

Someone wrote in our Prayer Relay+ book:

I had a picture the other day (during the worship night on Sunday): in the middle of St Matts there was a carpet that was illuminated in different coloured lighting that the worship band were surrounding, and I had a picture of this swirling wind almost going out from it – not quite a tornado, more gentle, kind of like that wind in the Pocahontas film (lol). And I had a sense of St Matts as a hub of creativity, where young people will come to lay down their knives and pick up paint brushes (or whatever creative tool they might be preferring).

The smashing and smelting of weapons into peaceful tools is promised in the ancient prophecy of Isaiah:

He shall judge between the nations,
   and shall decide disputes for many peoples;
and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
   and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
   neither shall they learn war any more. Isaiah 2:4

The 'He' who will powerfully judge and make universal peace, eliminating the need for weapons, is the Messiah (Hebrew anointed one, saviour of humankind), Jesus Christ. This has not yet been fulfilled since the first coming of Christ. But it is prophesied. It will happen. We can look forward with faith and hope to Jesus' Second Coming when this prophecy will eventually be fulfilled. In the meantime, if and when, young people lay down their knives in this church, it will be a small but significant grace-filled echo of Isaiah's prophetic promise. It will also be a fruit of reaching out to young people and practicing creativity. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, the coming King of kings.

Lest you doubt this coming of Jesus will happen, listen to Wayne Drain's song 'Every Tribe' the far-seeing vision and conviction expressed through to the end when he sings repeatedly: it's gonna happen.