Figs and Grapes. Thornbushes and Brambles

Symbol of Peace Olive Branch (Pexel Arthouse studio)

When will every nation seek peace instead of conquest?

We watch. We weep. We pray. The cities and countryside are under siege. The streets are without the normal melodies of life: music; children playing; lovers strolling; workers working; and simple day-to-day tasks like washing clothes, seasoning stew, reading mail.

Obliteration. Bombs. Missiles. Tanks. Guns.

Sacred worship spaces bereft. Restaurants empty. Homes ravaged. Timbers burned. Windows broken. Concrete crumbled. Steel twisted.

Most disturbing is the assault on human flesh and life.

Again, oppression is rearing its ugly head as it has done now and through the ages across our planet in so many ways.

What hurts one, hurts all.

But the mortars that hollow the ground cannot hollow the human spirit. The soul after all, is a hallowed entity.

Let the oppressed of this world cling to what is just, righteous, and true; their human and spiritual dignity; the fruits of grace; the fruits of perseverance.

Is it possible for the oppressors of this world to stop oppressing? Peace is a choice.

A good tree does not bear rotten fruit,
nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
For every tree is known by its own fruit.
For people do not pick figs from thornbushes,
nor do they gather grapes from brambles.
—Luke 6:43-44

To all the defenders of freedom, the displaced, the heart-broken, and the discouraged: strength to you and blessing.

Thanks for stopping by.