Art Courtesy of Tim McClendon
Peace dove
Special to United Methodist Insight | Dec. 8, 2025
Isaiah 11:1-10. Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19. Romans 15:4-13. Matthew 3:1-12
My sixth-grade daughter recently participated in her regional mock trial competition. I sat in the fifth row, a proud father watching her rise as the prosecuting attorney to deliver her opening statement. As I listened, I remembered what retired attorney Jim Van Dyke from First UMC in Carroll told me about mock trial: it helps youth grow in confidence and learn to think on their feet, adapting in the moment to challenges and opportunities.
I don’t know if Olivia will ever become a trial lawyer, but I appreciated this opportunity for her to stand and state her case. And then came the humorous text on my phone that tempered my pride—“You are helping your tween learn to argue better? Are you crazy?”
The prophet Isaiah, who consistently stands and states God’s case for justice, judgment, and hope, paints one of the Scripture’s most inspiring pictures in this week’s Old Testament reading. He describes the “peaceable kingdom”—“these verses articulate the deep and persistent human hope for justice and peace.”[1] Verses 6-9 promise a world transformed—the “reign of God in the order of creation with the establishment of peace and tranquility among all creatures, including predators and their prey.”[2] This new shalom—the Hebrew word for “peace”—comes as God mediates the conflict that has long plagued creation. Isaiah makes clear that this peace is not passive; it is the fruit of Spirit-filled work—understanding, strength, knowledge, and justice—through God’s chosen servants. God’s peaceable kingdom is an outgrowth of God’s work for justice.
In the Gospel reading, Matthew presents John the Baptist as a prophet who stands in the prophetic line of Isaiah. From the world’s wilderness, John proclaims the arrival of God’s reign in Jesus:
The voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
"Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight.” (v. 3)
John prosecutes the high and low of Jerusalem and Judea, calling them to repent—to turn back to God—because in Jesus, God’s Spirit-filled justice and judgment has arrived as the promised path to peace.
In my ministry among Iowa United Methodists, I am reminded that we still are called to this Spirit-filled work of justice and peace-making. Peace does not come through avoidance or the predator defeating the prey. Peace doesn’t happen through “Iowa Nice,” which seeks to preserve relationships at the expense of candor. Peace requires the hard work of speaking truth with humility and listening with grace. Iowa United Methodist leaders must grow in these peace-making skills (check out these skill-building videos on our conference website: https://www.iaumc.org/conflict-transformation-education).
Beyond our local churches, our collective ministry as United Methodists actively works for God’s justice and peace through education. “Cuts to foreign aid, the dismantling of equity initiatives, and threats to public education are jeopardizing access for students and impacting educational institutions—especially those in marginalized communities and developing regions. By investing in leadership development and scholarships, Higher Education and Ministry and the Black College Fund are restoring opportunity, strengthening theological education, and ensuring continued access to scholarships and formative leadership opportunities.”[3] Indeed, this week’s focus of the This Moment Matters campaign invites us to join this work: https://umcmission.org/giving/this-moment-matters-education. Your gift can help raise up the next prophets who speak against the bewildering forces of this world and bring God’s shalom to all creation.
Just as Olivia stood with confidence to make her case in mock trial, we too are called to stand for God’s justice and peace. Advent invites us to prepare the way for Christ by engaging in Spirit-filled work—speaking truth with humility, listening with grace, and investing in the next generation of leader/prophets. Take a moment today to read aloud Isaiah 11:1-10, and let its vision of the peaceable kingdom inspire you to join God’s work of justice and shalom in our world.
View an archive of the Advent Devotions
[1] Christopher R. Seitz, The Book of Isaiah 40-66: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections, ed. Leander E. Keck, Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2001), 139.
[2] Seitz, The Book of Isaiah 40-66: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections, Volume VI: Introduction to Prophetic Literature, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Baruch, Letter of Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, 139–40.
[3] “This Moment Matters - Education,” Global Ministries, n.d., accessed December 2, 2025, https://umcmission.org/giving/this-moment-matters-education.
The Rev. Ryan Christenson serves as Associate Director for Congregational Excellence in the Iowa Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.