The Prince of Peace

And his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor... the Mighty God... the Everlasting Father... the Prince of Peace! -- Isaiah 9:6

Wait a minute... the Prince of Peace... that's a reference to Christmas, right?  Prince of Peace is a sort of honorary, imaginary title, right?  There's Santa, Rudolph, Frosty and the Baby Jesus, AKA, Prince of Peace.  Right?

Why would the Prince of Peace wear a crown of thorns?  Because "guns, guts and God," can never bring "Glory to God and Peace on earth." Jesus knew the only way to bring peace was to lay down his life.  He received the crown of thorns at his coronation on the cross at Calvary.  He said, "The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep" (John 10:10-11).

In his book, What Every Person Should Know About War, Chris Hedges writes, "Of the past 3,400 years, humans have been entirely at peace for 268 of them, or just 8 Percent of recorded history.  At least 108 million people were killed in wars in the twentieth century.  Estimates for the total number killed in wars throughout all of human history range from 150 million to 1 billion."

The wars of men are often touted as "the only way to make peace."  The truth is, while war seldom brings more than a brief moment of peace, it sure makes a handful of people very rich.

With the fortune made on the Colt .45, ironically known as The Peacemaker, Samuel Colt was able to build an industrial utopia on 200 acres along the Connecticut River.  In addition to creating the world's largest private armament factory, the campus included parks, orchards, a railroad depot and even a German beer garden for immigrant workers who lived in replica Swiss cottages.

The slogan given to Colt's enterprise was, "God created man. Sam Colt made them equal." Samuel Colt, like every other arms maker in history, didn't dream of making peace, but only making money.

The Colt .45 was designed to take life.  Jesus came that we may have life and have it abundantly.