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Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. (Isaiah 2:3-4)

Followers of the Prince of Peace are called to be peacemakers, promoting harmony and order and restoring what is broken.  We call on our governments to work for peace and to restore just relationships.  We deplore the spread of weapons in our world… We pledge to walk in ways of peace, confessing that our world belongs to God; he is our sure defence. (OWBTG 54)

Followers of the Prayer Guide will notice that I’ve chosen Saturday’s texts for today.  On Remembrance Day, it seemed more fitting to talk about our Prince of Peace.

Here in Isaiah is a vision of the Kingdom of God where the nations no longer take up weapons against one another or train for war anymore. Conflict ceases.  The rein of the Prince of Peace comes.  Surely this is a vision of what the world will look like when Jesus comes again—but to what extent is it a vision that is or can be realized today?  Because the Kingdom of God has already broken into this world, has it not?

It has.  And we as God’s people are called to be peacemakers.  “Blessed are the peacemakers” Jesus says in his beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, “for they will be called children of God.”  We are given the power of forgiveness, love, and a Spirit-fired witness to the self-denying ways of God’s Kingdom as our tools to implore people everywhere to be reconciled to God and one another. 

We are also given power as citizens of a democratic government to speak into government.  In what ways do we advocate for peace in our city, province, nation, and world?  The churches in Canada have asked that question together and created Project Ploughshares based on that mandate from this very text from Isaiah 2:4.  This organization is “the peace research institute of The Canadian Council of Churches that works with churches, governments, and civil society, in Canada and abroad, to advance policies and actions to prevent war and armed violence and build peace.”  They regularly speak into the proceedings of the UN on our behalf (yes, the CRCNA is a member). 

As you intercede for peace this Remembrance Day in your life, family, community, city, and world, perhaps check out the Autumn edition of Project Ploughshares quarterly publication, the “Ploughshares Monitor”.  There you can find articles that speak to the state of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Digital Surveillance, Outer Space Security, and one that details exactly how many weapons and armaments Canada exports, including to countries involved in conflict and human rights abuses.  Let it inform your prayers for peace.