Scripture: Isaiah 19:23-25

In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, sovaldi along with Egypt and Assyria, sildenafil a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, ed saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.”

Thought for the Day: There were already great international highway systems throughout the ancient world. These roads were often nothing more than well-traveled paths, flattened in the dirt by the feet of workers, pilgrims, and tradesmen for centuries. Travel was arduous, but constant. Think I-75 on foot, horseback or chariot. Everyday. And just as crowded.

Just as those ancient highways connected great civilizations, today roads, airways, and the global Internet connect us. Our ideas, dreams, passions, fears and prejudices are on display and blending more than ever in history. We are learning more about each other through persistent trade, always-on international interaction. Modern communications systems are a blessing for those of us who envision more evolved planetary relationships, because only from the seed of communication can understanding and acceptance grow.

In Isaiah’s vision God ultimately blesses all the nations of the earth when they begin to worship one God. Today this cannot mean everyone converts to one religion (a terrible idea even if it wasn’t impossible). Rather, worshipping God is about taking all the different highways we have available, mixing them up, and learning from each other to reach the same end: a completely refocused world that exists for God over greed, for people over profit, for progress over politics.

Prayer: Holy God which is the substance of everything, in your glory we recognize our potential, in your honor we strive for peace, and in your love we reach to others with compassion. Amen.