How
beautiful upon the mountains
are
the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who
brings good news,
who
announces salvation,
who
says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Isaiah
52.7
How
we long for a messenger to bring us news of peace!
God’s
act of bringing light to the world is foretold in the prophet Isaiah as the
messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation.
For the Israelites, the cry of triumph ‘Your God reigns’ proclaims the victory
of Yahweh over their Assyrian oppressors. Singing can break out, as it does in
Handel’s Messiah, which opens with God’s news of comfort revealed to Isaiah.
Isaiah
52 brings together the themes of God as Comforter and Redeemer: ‘for the Lord
has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem’. Comfort is more than
condolence, for it recognises a change in our situation; thanks to the mercy of
God, that we are strengthened, supported and ultimately rescued from our
predicament. Saint Luke depicts the elderly Simeon taking in his hands the
Christ-child from his mother Mary, permitting him to end his life in peace
(Luke 2.25-35). Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace.
For
Christians today, God’s act of redemption has been achieved; but we long for
the day when all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. Peace be with you!
Listen
to the Monks of Pluscarden Abbey singing the Song of Simeon (Nunc Dimittis) at
the close of the day (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zK-Yes6yhXE).
Qu’ils sont beaux sur les montagnes,
Les pieds de celui qui apporte de bonnes nouvelles,
Qui publie la paix !
De celui qui apporte de bonnes nouvelles,
Qui publie le salut !
Ésaïe 52.7 (Nouvelle Edition de Genève)
Jonathan
Halliwell
Statue
of bishop, west front, St Chad, Wybunbury
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