Song of Peace

“How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished!” – 2 Samuel 1: 27 

The hum of war is a persistent earworm that you can hear, it seems, wherever you go. War on teachers and children, brutally murdered by young men carrying guns into schools.  War on the poor, who have no time to fight the rising cost of housing between working a minimum-wage double shift.  War on refugees, women and the disabled, carried out by political campaigns that use bombastic language.

Guns and economic oppression and hateful rhetoric buzz around the schoolyard, the workplace, the newscast.  Our ears are filled with the whiz and whir of the crossfire.

These words from the book of 2 Samuel come from a song of mourning.  But listen! Even as we dodge the bullets, uncertainty and invective of war, today we hear in these words a new song.  A song of hopeful expectation.

The mighty have already fallen! The weapons have already perished!  The reign of God is already here!  This is our song as people of the good news. The mighty want to kill this song and war seeks to bury it.  But if you listen, you can hear the tune, clear and joyful and solemn and true.  Sing it.  Teach it to your children. And don’t stop singing it, until all are joined together in one beautiful chorus.

Prayer

Prince of Peace, help us to hear your song of hope. Lead us into the world you have envisioned, as we work to end gun dominance, uplift the impoverished and halt the rhetoric of hate that leads to violence.  Amen.

About the Author
Jennifer Brownell is an ordained UCC minister and the author of Swim, Ride, Run, Breathe: How I Lost a Triathlon and Caught My Breath, her inspiring memoir.