Rochester, MN UCC - "God's Promise" - Isaiah 65:17-25
This morning, I was listening to Ray Charles sing, “Georgia, On My Mind” and the lyrics brought to mind the prophecy from Isaiah that we are hearing this week in worship. (click here to listen) In the song, the lyricist is away from his beloved Georgia, “other arms reach out to me, other eyes smile tenderly,” he says, “still in peaceful dreams I see, the road leads back to you, O Georgia.” His life apart from her is a struggle, but merely singing a melody about her gets him through the day. “No peace, I find, just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.”
In the 65th chapter of Isaiah, God promises to create a new heaven and a new earth. In this new creation, the former things will have passed away- specifically the things we struggle with, the things we suffer from. There will be no more war, no more tears, no more sickness. Children will not meet early and tragic ends, but all shall be blessed by the Lord. Injustice will come to an end as all live in their own homes and eat the produce of their own vineyards. This is not merely a fanciful vision; it is God’s will for the world- the kingdom that is to come. We trust in God’s promise that this kingdom is coming to the earth, that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven. More than that, we trust that God’s kingdom is our true home and our common destiny.
It's safe to say that the kingdom has not yet arrived in full. In the present, we live amidst injustice, calamity, and war. The kingdom is something whose coming we yearn for and desire. We dream of the day that we will be fully in its presence. Other arms may reach out to us, other eyes smile tenderly, yet still, in peaceful dreams we see, the road leads back to God’s kingdom. Prophecies like Isaiah’s, hymns and psalms, and spiritual songs of the new creation- can bring us peace in the midst of our current struggles. They remind us of our common goal and destiny. They remind us of our true home in the kingdom that is to come. “No peace, I find, but an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind.” May hearing the promises of God bring us peace in a troubled world this Sunday, and may it refresh our faith and renew our commitment to the coming of God’s kingdom.
Rev. Andrew Greenhaw