Advent 1 — Reforged for Peace

Reforged for Peace

A short reflection on: Isaiah 2:1–5; Matthew 24:36–44

The season of Advent begins not with manger scenes and lullabies, but with a wake-up call. Isaiah gives us a powerful image: weapons transformed into tools for life – swords beaten into ploughshares; spears turned into pruning hooks. It's a vision of peace, not just imagined, but actively chosen.

Matthew, on the other hand, jolts us with urgency: “Keep awake.” The Son of Man is coming – not to destroy, but to disrupt. God's peace doesn’t arrive quietly. It unsettles our comfort, interrupts our routines, and calls us into alert living.

Together, these readings remind us that peace isn’t passive. It’s a radical transformation – of systems, yes, but also of ourselves. Just like weapons can be reforged into gardening tools, our harsh words, hasty judgments, and deep anxieties can be reshaped into compassion, justice, and generous love. The call is to stay awake – not in fear, but in hope.

Advent invites us to prepare – not just for the birth of Christ, but for the breaking-in of God’s peaceable kingdom. We wait, yes – but we also walk. We cultivate peace in daily acts: speaking gently, sharing freely, resisting injustice. Isaiah dreamed it. Jesus embodied it. Now we are invited to live it.

Peace begins with imagination – and requires our daily participation.

Staying awake means living alert to where God’s love is breaking through.

Ngā mihi
Philip

Worship leaders: You can buy a complete Order of Service and Sermon based on these readings here: https://philipgarsidebooks.com/products/worship-at-hand-advent-1-30-november-2025