Isaiah 66:12-14

The prophet writes that the LORD says, "I am going to send peace to my people like a river. When you see this, your heart will rejoice."

The prophecy attributed to Isaiah concludes with a vision of the prosperity of Jerusalem after Babylon is destroyed and the Judeans in exile are able to return to their homeland. The Bible is filled with images of water and rivers. In a land where water is precious, it is not hard to understand that the love of God is often illustrated with such images. The God who made heaven and earth and controls the rain and the seas, provides in this prophecy an overflowing river for the people of Jerusalem, so they may live without fear.

Spirituals like "Deep River" and "O Healing River" have sustained African-American Christians in the United States for centuries. Can we, amidst the violence of our time, find in the scriptures the hope they found?

Grace and peace...Bob