Wednesday, December 17, 2025

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! Isaiah 2:5

In these beginning days of Advent, our reading from Isaiah asks us to take a look at what it means to “walk in the light of the Lord.”  Isaiah’s verses (2:1-5) describe the world that God has in mind for all nations to enjoy when people have learned to live in accordance with God’s teachings.  There will be justice and peace for all nations – for everyone.  But, living in this way will take some preparation – and instruction – from God.  Come, let us learn what God has to teach us.  Let us walk in the light of the Lord.

In the times of Isaiah, the people of Israel were living with instances of violence, corruption, unfaithfulness, desolation and war in nearby countries, poverty, injustice for the poor and weak ... the same as existed in the times of Jesus ... and the same dark places we still see existing in today’s world.  We long to see God’s light triumph.  And, through the weeks of Advent, we call out,  “Come, Lord Jesus.”  “Come now, O Prince of Peace, make us one body.  Come, O lord Jesus, reconcile your people.”

So we ask what can we do to bring about God’s peace?  Well, the simple answer is that we can’t.  Only God can.  But, we can express it in our own lives – as we try to “walk in the light of the Lord.”  In a commentary by Barbara Lundblad she told of a program developed by community activist Pedro Reyes, from Culiacán, Mexico .  Culiacán was described as “the city with the highest rate of gun deaths in the nation.”  In response, Reyes collected 1,527 guns for the project Palas por Pistolas, melting these guns down into 1,527 shovel heads. But the project didn’t stop there. The 1,527 shovels were used to plant 1,527 trees in the open spaces of the city.  Matter used for death transformed into matter promoting life. Walking in the light of the Lord.

The first Sunday in Advent we light a candle for hope and peace.  Let us pray that God’s reign of peace will come to the world as we wait in hopefulness for the Christ child to come to us again.

O God, enlighten us with your grace and prepare our hearts to welcome the Child you have sent us with joy and hopefulness.  Amen.

Paulette Obrecht is interim pastor at Christ Lutheran Church in Allentown and serves on the Advisory Board for Lutheran Congregational Services, and as an as-needed case manager for Lutheran Disaster Response of Eastern PA.