Study War No Longer

Thus says the Lord of hosts:
There will yet come peoples and inhabitants of many cities;
and the inhabitants of one city will approach those of another, and say, “Come! let us go to implore the favor of the Lord and to seek the Lord of hosts. I too am going.”
Many peoples and strong nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to implore the favor of the Lord.
—Zechariah 8:20-22

When the cities band together,
both the greater and the least,
not in league against their brethren
but to find the way of peace;

when they study war no longer,
even laying down the sword,
and as one, both weak and stronger,
they go up to seek the Lord;

when they set aside their ambush
and dismantle all their traps;
when they come with open hands, then,
one another's hands to clasp;

when they say, “Come climb the mountain:
We will ask God what to do.
Let us drink from wisdom's fountain—
I myself am going, too!”

it will be the end of all things.
All we know will pass away,
as the shadows of our small kings
disappear into the day.

This old world will burn to ashes;
heav'n and earth will be made new
and we, too, shall be refashioned—
Lord, my God, let it come soon!

Identifier: saitomusashibobe01debe (find matches) Title: Saito Musashi-bo Benkei : tales of the wars of the Gempei, being the story of the lives and adventures of Iyo-no-Kami Minamoto Kuro Yoshitsune and Saito Musashi-bo Benkei the warrior monk Year: 1910 (1910s) Authors: De Benneville, James S. (James Seguin) Subjects: Minamoto, Yoshitsune, 1159-1189 Benkei, d. 1189? Publisher: Yokohama : J.S. De Benneville Contributing Library: Harold B. Lee Library Digitizing Sponsor: Brigham Young University View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book. Text Appearing Before Image: waka besidehim roused him up. Throwing down the halberd heagain drew his sword. One vicious sweep after anothermissed its mark. Benkei fought well. Too near the sideof the bridge, and missing his mark, he sank his sworddeep into the wooden beams. Before he could withdrawit Ushiwaka leaped at him giving him a severe kick in the * A modest eighteen feet. Japanese gates (moti) are lofty structuresof twenty to forty feet or more in height. t Hi no maru gunsen. The frames were of iron: used by highmilitary officers in ancient times (Brinckleys Diet). As to Ushiwakassword, that lie should cling to it is natural. Minamoto Mitsunaka(912-997 A.D.) had two of these famous weapons, forged by a smith inChikuzen, who fasted for a week and then spent seventy days in theforging of the weapons. These were hereditary treasures of the SeiwaGenji, and had names—Higekiru and Hizamaru. So likewise had theother militant family—the Taira. Their weapons were called Kogarasnand Nukemaru. (Ariga) II. p. 3. Text Appearing After Image: BENKEI AND USHIWAKA AT THE QOJO BRIDGE. BENKEI MEETS USHIWAKA-MARU. 331 forehead. Struck in this vital spot Benkei lost his sightand fell to the ground. Ushiwaka picked up the swordand lightly leaped up on the rail, some nine feet high.Oh! you miserable fellow! You wretched fencer!(Benkei writhed at this). You challenge me to get mysword and here I have yours. Shame on you, dressed ina priests robe. Come ! Be off with you ! Try to get atleast a little better set of morals to correspond to yourdress. As for your weapon it is too wretched a thing forme to keep from you, even if I could do such a thing.He examined it; then bending it threw it back to Benkei.Benkei, more ashamed and confused than defeated pickedit up, straightened the weapon in a way, and started totl rust it into the scabbard as if about to make off; butas Ushiwaka sprang down he turned quickly and made aswift slice at him. In a trice Ushiwaka was back on thetop of the bridge rail. This was too much for Benkei.God or ten Note About Images Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability – coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original work.By Internet Archive Book Images – https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14760438876/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/saitomusashibobe01debe/saitomusashibobe01debe#page/n412/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41896582

At Last

As sentinels wait for the dawn
and wonder if day will arrive,
or if they have strength to go on,
we wait for your mercy, O Christ.

When they who have waited so long 
can finally lift up their heads
and see justice righting the wrongs
and peace at last comfort the dead.

For over the fields of our wars
she spreads out the shade of her wings,
the graves that will hold us no more
where paupers lie buried with kings,

and they who have fallen will rise
and sinews will cover dry bones.
The Spirit will fill them with life
and all that was hidden be known.

But when is it coming, that day
when mercy and truth hand-in-hand
shall lay down their straight, level way?
The promised land waits at its end.

Remember your promise, O Lord,
your covenant made ages past.
Come, turn all the earth with bent swords
and replant your garden at last.

13th century depiction of a ploughing peasant, Royal Library of Spain By Baudouin d’Arras – photographie, travail personnel, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3837028

Waves

I was not there to watch you shut
the sea within its doors,
to see you lift the mountains up
and bind the earth with shores,
but I have seen the ocean swells
rise up and break and fall,
that something of your mercy tells
beneath the gull's wild call.

For we are past the solstice now,
and summer's hold must break
though cruelty will have its hour
and Pharaoh holds his sway.
They rise and grow; they crash and sink
like waves upon the shore.
There is a time for everything—
so peace will come once more.

You set the limits of the sea
and you can part its waves,
just as you set the pris'ners free
and open up our graves.
You cast the mighty from their thrones
to crash upon the sands:
Though now we walk through waves unknown,
we still are in your hands.

Breaking wave in Porto Covo, Portugal By Alvesgaspar – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36434062

Peace

Combining Psalm 85 and Mark 6:

The place where truth and kindness meet
and justice joins itself to peace,
where truth springs up and right rains down,
is in your body, pierced and crowned.

For you made the divided one;
all earth and heaven in you join.
In you, O Lord, our peace is made.
Help us in making peace today.

With walking stick and sandal-shod,
we go to seek the reign of God.
Our money will not pave the road,
so free our shoulders from that load.

O Shepherd, lead us on the way
and give us words to tell your praise.
Give us still more the grace of tears
to name our weaknesses and fears.

And give us mercy over all:
Forgive us as we fail and fall,
then lift us, ever lift us up
to drink again the saving cup.

You are the way; you are the road,
but we have still so far to go.
Help us to choose the better part
and draw yet closer to your heart

for there alone does justice meet
and kiss its sister, truest peace.
Lord, show us mercy once again,
and grant salvation's sweet Amen.

Justitia et pax – Brescia – Pinacoteca Tosio-Martinengo – 13-4-2002 By anonymous – Own work, Giovanni Dall’Orto, 13-4-2002, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=641316

In Their Time

Lord, they who trust you stand like heights,
unshaken in your strength,
but sorrow comes in with the night
and rivers burst their banks.

And when the mountains fall like tears,
how shall we stand our ground?
Amid the locust-eaten years
what harvest have we found?

The field, the grain, the wine, the oil,
you sent us in their time,
and blood and pain and sweat and toil
around your gifts were twined.

Now we reach up with empty hands
to an unfeeling sky:
O, send you blessing on the land!
we beg with throats gone dry.

Somewhere there is a table spread
by one who knows our need—
the goodness of the wine and bread—
where we will sit and feast.

And more than bread and more than wine
will fill these empty hands.
You send your good things in their time:
Send peace to us again.

By Floris van Dyck – The Yorck Project (2002) 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei (DVD-ROM), distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH. ISBN: 3936122202., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150586

Lords of Earth

We watched for hope throughout the night,

as sentinels for dawn,

and saw the sky fill up with light

exploding from their guns.



“All glory to the lords of earth,

who reign from west to east,

and to the new things now in birth—

for we shall be your peace!”



We shepherds all began to run,

to cry out what we'd seen,

to weep for all that had begun,

and all that long had been.



Though gods arise and kings are born,

for us it is the same:

the infants from their mothers torn,

the rubble and the flame.



Not 'til a king is born like us,

smelling the sulphur creep,

seeing the shattered world in dust,

waking from shattered sleep,



not 'til he comes in shit and smoke,

poverty and disease,

not until then will we have hope.

Then we will have our peace.

By Internet Archive Book Images – https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14741295196/Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/pictorialbibleco00cobb/pictorialbibleco00cobb#page/n634/mode/1up, No restrictions, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42049461

Psalm 46

Riffing on Psalm 46:

Come, O Lord: The earth is shaken,
mountains falling to their knees.
All we thought we knew is breaking
with the raging of the seas.
Be our refuge and our shelter;
be our help in troubled days.
Let the earth be still your dwelling,
through the bloody wars we wage.

See, O Lord, how we hold nothing:
Only you can fill that void.
In our need, we fight for somethings
until everything's destroyed.
Look on us, the weak and thirsty;
see us wounded, hungry ones
aching for the taste of mercy,
yearning 'til your kingdom comes.

Speak, O Lord: Your word is power.
Break the bow and bend the spear.
Turn the bloodied swords to plowshares
with the whisper of “Be still!”
Turn our battlefields to gardens;
turn our famines into feasts.
Come at last to reap your harvest
with the implements of peace.

Rapier By Rama – Own work, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4359923

Canticle

Based on the Canticle of Zechariah:

How long, O Lord, must I pray
and weep to deafened skies?
How long until the light breaks,
and when will your sun rise?
Our guns unleash their thunder;
our rockets blazing bright,
we split the skies asunder,
but this is not your light.

How long until you hear us,
until you look down low?
O Mercy, now draw near us
who in the shadows groan!
We wail along with sirens
as rubble fills the streets,
and afterwards, the silence
is not the sound of peace.

We long have dwelt in shadows:
of death, of doubt, of fear.
O God, in your compassion,
draw near to us!  Draw near!
Unlock the door that bars us;
free us and guide our feet
on paths you lay before us
into the way of peace.

Estatua en mármol de San Zacarías, ubicada en la iglesia de San Juan en Arévalo, Ávila. Está datada a mediados del siglo XII. By Ángel M. Felicísimo from Mérida, España – San Zacarías en Arévalo, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=107065485

Touch

For the Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A), combining Elijah and the still, small voice with Peter walking on water. To the tune ST. THOMAS:

Touch my ears that I may hear you,
not in thunder's raging noise;
let the humble things reveal you
in the smallest whispered voice.
Touch my ears, O Lord, and heal me:
Let me hear you and rejoice.

Touch my eyes that I may see you,
not in tempest or in flame.
Presence in my fear reveals you,
walking toward me on the waves.
Touch my eyes, O Lord, and heal me:
Let me see the hand that saves.

Touch my heart and draw it near you,
not in grandeur or in pride.
Trust, even in doubt, reveals you,
lifts me ever to your side.
Touch my heart, O Lord, and heal me:
Let me sense how grace provides.

Touch my life that I may feel you,
not in praise that I look for.
Quiet moments will reveal you,
still my restless search for more.
Touch my life, O Lord, and heal me:
Let me know you'll calm the storm.

Henry Ossawa Tanner – The Disciples See Christ Walking on the Water, c. 1907. Oil on canvas, 51.5 x 42 in. Des Moines Art Center – The Catholic Beat, Aug. 14, 2012, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20672406

Lay Your Weapons Down

This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz,
saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come,
the mountain of the LORD’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain
and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it;
many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us climb the LORD’s mountain,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may instruct us in his ways,
and we may walk in his paths.”
For from Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and impose terms on many peoples.
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.
O house of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord!
Isaiah 2:1-5

Come, lay your weapons down,
and plunge them in the soil.
The sword that was so sharp and proud
is humbled to our toil.
Now it shall plow the ground,
tear out the roots of war:
Prepare a place for seeds to sprout,
a harvest for our joy.

Unless the seed should fall
it would remain a seed,
but buried, it shall rise up tall,
a hundredfold to yield.
The scythe is at the stalk—
it once had been a spear—
come, now; the harvestmaster calls:
His day is drawing near!

Then let us climb at once
the mountain of the Lord,
and hand in hand declare a truce,
lay down the hungry sword.
Come, plow the fallow tombs
and let our roots take hold
to grow the grain our God shall use
to feed a hungry world!

Mosaic in the Beit Habad Gallery, Jerusalem, quoting Isaiah 2:4, with lion, spear and spade. By benito roveran from verona, Italia – IMG_4713, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36487009