I am 17 years old and as much as I would like to claim that I have all the answers and that I have the how’s and whys of life worked out, I must confess that after 17 years, these things remain more or less elusive to me. Now don’t get me wrong, my 17 years have brought me far from walking around completely empty handed. I have stumbled upon a few things. For instance, I have come to the realization that God is powerful! God moves mountains, both literally and metaphorically. I don’t believe anyone can truly doubt God’s awesome power, and for anyone who does, simply sit still and know that God is God. The Psalmist stands in awe of God’s might in all things. Every force of nature and movement of the earth is a function of God. In the face of God’s overwhelming strength those in the temple do shout "glory" and ask the Lord to bless the people! Certainly the God of power and peace blesses all people, but the question is, "What moves the people of his temple to yell glory?" Now I don’t know about anyone else, but the first time I read this scripture, I was like duh, it’s the power!! I mean who wouldn’t say sweet if they saw the powers of the living God. People have a thing for power! After all isn’t this the reason that we all run to look at the Hummer on one end of the parking lot, rather than the Camry on the other end. Of course it is. But God’s power and Glory goes beyond physical power. In the Prophet Isaiah’s story, God appears in full splendor. We find our prophet conflicted. He has seen God, yet he and his people are unclean. I think we would all have this reaction, seeing God. For Isaiah this experience must have surely brought back a flood of memories of times of doubt and disloyalty. It must have been like after skipping a day of school, and returning home where your mother asks, "So, how was school today?" You don’t know how, but you know she knows! The sight of God must have plunged Isaiah into guilt, and the only cure for guilt is forgiveness. God proceeds to send a seraph to touch the lips of Isaiah and cleanse him of his sins. So moved, Isaiah volunteers to go forth and testify to the glory of the lord. This is where God gets power. This is why in the face of God we bow and shout glory. It is not because we fear being crushed by the mountain or the pillar of flame, but because of God’s greatest power; the power to forgive and be merciful. This power is the mark of the living God. God does not seek to use the powers of heaven against man for speedy solutions. Our God would much rather lay down the life of his own son, to see wicked people become holy, than destroy all bad people as a means to an end. This is because God loves all people. God knows that love is the greatest power of creation. Perhaps this is what troubles the nations today. In a time when all corners of creation live in fear of weapons of mass destruction and horrible acts of war, nations do not realize that the one who can show mercy over might is the victor. For that is the reflection of a God like people, a people who have come to the realization that mercy is a function of love, and love is a function of God. It is only through the realization of this and this alone, in our hearts, minds, governments, and social factions, that we will be the recipients of the request of the Psalmist. Only then will we be a humanity blessed with the true strength of the Lord, and lasting peace. It will be then that we will be able freely to proclaim to the lord of hosts, "Here we are; send us!!"