Break Forth and Sing for Joy

It often seems that there is not much joy in our world. In these dismal days, we are longing for a liberator, one who can bring peace in a warring world. Our search is failing. Our leaders, for the most part, are not liberators or makers of peace. People all over the world are immersed in conflict. The world’s children know violence and war. We are left languishing in a world where chaos seems to reign. Peace is elusive. And so we dream of better days.

We ask if peace is even possible, while we flounder in hopelessness. Yet, there is hope. There is always hope. Jürgen Moltmann reminds us that our dream does not die, that peace is possible.

The dream of a liberator, and the dream of peace, is not merely a dream. The liberator is already present and his power is already among us. We can follow him, even today making visible something of the peace, liberty and righteousness of the kingdom that he will complete. It is no longer impossible.

So let us all dream a dream of peace and trust in the power of our liberator. Let us rest in the words of the Psalmist and let us “break forth and sing for joy.”

O sing to the Lord a new song,
For He has done wonderful things,
His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him.
The Lord has made known His salvation;
He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered His lovingkindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth and sing for joy and sing praises.
Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
With the lyre and the sound of melody.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
Shout joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Let the sea roar and all it contains,
The world and those who dwell in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
Let the mountains sing together for joy
Before the Lord, for He is coming to judge the earth;
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples with equity.

– Psalm 98 NASB