My reflection on the reading in Isaiah for today is more hopeful than it would have been even a year ago. Perhaps that means I am growing in my faith; I hope so. I count myself among those who advocate peace and therefore I am very familiar with the verses, “They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. One nation shall not raise the sword against another; nor shall they train for war again.” But besides the hopeful vision this represents for many of us, how does this passage apply to our lives? It is prophetic, and as such, it is not just the product of a better vision, but also a challenge to us to connect our higher purposes with the purpose of God. I think that Isaiah shares his vision of peace with us not just for the sake of peace, but also to help us grow in faith.
If we place this verse in the context of the rest of the text, we see that Isaiah is hopeful that many people and many nations shall come to the Lord’s house to learn of God’s ways and to walk in God’s paths. An even more positive note is played in the Psalm for today. “Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord” is what people of faith should do. “According to the decree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord” is our charge. So there is where I think I have grown a little in my faith. I think we are encouraged to pray for peace with rejoicing. I take that to mean we should pray with confidence that our prayers for peace for ourselves and all those we love will be answered. That takes great faith.
The connection I see to the Old Testament lessons and those in the Gospel is the necessity for an active faith, not just membership in a church that professes faith. We know faith requires a response to God. If we want peace, we have to do more than pray for peace, we need to work for peace is what we peace activists say. But the lessons for today suggest to me that our faith also calls us to rejoice in knowing that the peace of God is already in our midst. People who work for peace should walk in the paths of God with rejoicing. But there are a lot of peace activists who aren’t very cheerful to be around. Their efforts might be counter productive. So as I approach another Advent season, and as I pray and work for peace, I will rejoice when I share the “Peace of God” with my relatives and friends.
Barbara Dilly
I came to Creighton in 2000 and retired in 2020. My twenty years of teaching, research and service in the Jesuit tradition enhanced my own life. It was an exciting time of celebration. I loved teaching and interacting with Creighton students because they responded so eagerly to the Ignatian pedagogical emphasis on the development of the whole person. It is this spirit of whole person development and celebration of life that I hope to infuse in my reflection writings.
My academic background is eclectic, preparing me well for the Liberal Arts academic environment at Creighton. I earned my BA in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA in 1988 and my Ph.D. in Comparative Cultures from the University of California, Irvine in 1994. My research focused on rural communities in the American Midwest, Latin America, and Australia. I taught Environmental Anthropology, Qualitative Research Methods, Social and Cultural Theory, and Food Studies courses.
I retired to Shell Rock, a small rural community in Northeast Iowa where I enjoy gardening, cooking, quilting, driving my 65 Impala convertible an my 49 Willys Jeepster. I have lots of fun playing my guitars with friends from the Cedar Valley Acoustic Guitar Association. But most importantly, I am still working to make my community and rural America a better place. I host a community quilt studio and serve on the Mission Board of my church. I also serve as the Climate Committee Chair and on the Executive Board of the Center for Rural Affairs.
