Notes:
·
Messianic times as described by Isaiah and
Micah: Total harmony between humans and God, humans among each other and humans
and nature
·
Turn weapons into instruments of peace (quote swords
into plowshares…)
·
Passage ends: Every person shall sit under
their wine and under their fig tree and none shall make them afraid.
·
We are being made to be afraid: I am afraid of
wars in some parts of the world, violence in the streets, terrorism around the
globe, natural disasters….
·
I am also afraid when Governments bring in
unjust laws to fight injustice, breach principles of freedom to fight violence,
enact laws which are against civil rights to protect us from terrorism.
·
All religions are different and should be
respected for their individual expressions of worship and spirituality(don’t
like the word tolerance…)
·
But all religions also have at fundamentally
the goals to pursue and achieve peace.
·
We need to find the common ground to understand
and work on shared values and work towards peace together.
·
We need to marginalize all extremists whether
in our religious communities or in our social and political life.
·
Need join forces to defeat that and those who make us afraid.
·
This event-great beginning.