Bending Iron
15 October 2025
Dear Faith Friends,
As a kid, while touring historic Williamsburg, I was fascinated watching the blacksmiths shape horseshoes. The fires were scorching hot! Those blacksmiths, were required to heat iron to over 1500°F before hammering it into new forms. The transformation required unrelenting persistence.
That image comes to mind as we reflect on the recent announcement of peace between Gaza and Israel.
In Scripture, God casts a breathtaking vision of peace:
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” — Isaiah 2:4 (NRSV)
Turning swords into plowshares is not easy work.
It’s like bending iron—it takes immense force to reshape instruments of war into tools for growth. As people of faith, we believe the greatest force in the universe is God’s love. That love has the power to transform hatred into reconciliation and violence into peace.
On behalf of all of you at Christ Our Shepherd, I reached out to our friends at B’nai Israel Congregation in Fayetteville. I told Cantor Susan Burden and Congregational President Ralph Ellis that we rejoice in this good news. Watching video of hostages being reunited with their families is profoundly moving.
I also called our dear friend Elias Nawawieh from Bethlehem. Elias has led our Holy Land and St. Paul trips and generously sent us the stones from the Sea of Galilee, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem that adorn our chancel steps. Elias is thrilled about what this new peace means for his family and employees in the West Bank, not to mention fellow Palestinians in the Gaza, where over 70% of structures are damaged or destroyed by some accounts. In fact, Elias’ mother will be able to travel outside the country for the first time in two years to visit her grandchildren here in Georgia. They’re excited!
We know, of course, that this peace is fragile.
Even yesterday evening, we heard reports of challenges already emerging in the process. But we’ve seen “bending” happen before. Those involved in our COS Cross Ministry start with a rigid piece of steel. With determination and great force, they reshape it into a cross—a symbol of hope that can be worn, shared, and treasured.
So, let us pray—and pray fervently—that war is bent into lasting peace, that God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven, and that all God’s children in the Holy Land may live in security, enjoying their families and neighbors alike.
And while we pray for diplomats working across oceans, let’s remember: we are also called to be diplomats—in our homes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. As the old song says, “Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.” May we be the ones who bend sword-like words and actions into plowshares of kindness.
In Christ’s hope,
Pastor Fritz
Let us pray:
Gracious and Loving God, you are the One who envisions a world where swords become plowshares and nations learn war no more. We thank you for signs of peace in the Holy Land and lift before you all who live in Gaza, Israel, and the surrounding regions. Pour out your Spirit of reconciliation upon leaders, communities, and families. Strengthen those who build bridges. Protect those who are vulnerable. Soften hardened hearts, and bend the steel of conflict into tools that nurture life. And, Lord, begin with us. Make us instruments of your peace in our own homes and neighborhoods. Through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace. Amen.