Imagining Peace

What’s your favorite mountain?

I love driving up north from Sacramento on the west coast. It’s like getting a free geological tour: Lassen Peak, Mount Shasta, Crater Lake, Mount Hood, Mount St. Helens, and Rainier! Newberry, Jefferson, Adams... the list goes on. It’s part of what’s called the ring of fire, the geographic hotbed for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes (pretty much all the cool stuff) extending all the way to Asia.

Maybe you have a favorite mountain. I liked the experience of standing high on Mt. Hood near Portland and seeing two more peaks of the ring of fire lined up in the horizon.

When there is such an impressive peak nearby, for 10s and 100s of miles people look up and admire the majesty. They are drawn to approach it. A deep stirring happens within you just by spending a couple of minutes quietly taking in its beauty.

That’s how I understand the prophetic text in Isaiah that pictures God’s presence being like a mountain to which all the world’s people will stream. That’s right: they’ll want to go towards God (not away from God like most today). Rumors of a superior goodness and a satisfying fairness radiates out. There's something majestic and stunning there that actually draws people from all backgrounds and languages.

As I read today’s news, I think: I hope that’s a real thing. Please, God, if you’re there: let that be real! Let that be soon.