O Desire of Nations
Preacher: The Rev. Andrew Van Kirk
Scripture: Isaiah 2:1-5
While lasting peace awaits all people embracing God’s design, we find true peace now by imitating Jesus, who lived that design perfectly. In following his way, we discover the deep rest of living in harmony with our Creator rather than against the world.
Reflection Questions
Fr. Anrdew humorously noted that while Jesus is the "Desire of Nations," the nations (and our culture) often seem like "they are just not that into him." In your workplace, your industry, or your social circles, what is the primary desire right now? If it isn’t Jesus, what is the "god" that your professional or social culture is actually seeking to serve (e.g., efficiency, status, comfort, power)?
The sermon states that Christians are "universalists when it comes to creation"—believing every person is made in God's image, regardless of politics, race, or ability. For those of us who work or live in diverse, often polarized environments, how does viewing a difficult client, a political opposite, or a frustrating neighbor as "made from the same clay" change the way you interact with them?
If you were to try to "copy" Jesus’s definition of human being-ness in your daily life this week, what is one specific behavior you would have to change?
The sermon defined peace not just as the absence of war, but as the feeling of a "fitted sheet correctly folded" or a "spring-loaded hamper twisted just right"—being in harmony with how you were made. Do you currently feel like your life is "folded" and at rest, or do you feel like you are being "shoved, stuffed, and twisted" to fit into a mold at work or in your social obligations? What causes that friction?
