What are your swords? Do you actually have a sword? You know, one with both sides sharpened so that you can really do some heavy damage. Or, do you just use your money, power, tongue, sharp wit, sacarsam, or profanity to "cut" through your victim?
Whatever your sword is the challenge of Isaiah's words is to give over that sword to Him who created all and let him remold it into a source of peace, mercy, and love. I often wonder just what the world would be like if we actually tried to use the Golden Rule, 1 Corinthians 13, and the two Great Commandments in our daily lives. I wonder what it would be like if we really treated the other person with the same sort of dignity that we demand for ourselves - if we put their needs ahead of our own - if we really became the servant of all.
It gives me some pause when I reflect on these ideas. Wouldn't it be just great if just a few people tried living this way during this year's Advent period. It might even catch on and start a trend. It might cause a revolution of kindness, caring, concern, and "nice" in today's pretty nasty climate.
Well, I challenge you, if you actually read this, to give it a try. All this week, try living like the Gospel says. If you make a mistake, apologize, start over, and keep trying. Let's begin a revolution of love.
