Monday, October 18, 2010

Swords Into Plowshares

IF this really happened--the beating of swords into plowshares--we'd be leaving a better world for our children.


(Photo credit and narrative here)

The United Nations garden contains several sculptures and statues that have been donated by different countries. This one is called "Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares" and was a gift from the then Soviet Union presented in 1959. Made by Evgeniy Vuchetich, the bronze statue represents the figure of a man holding a hammer in one hand and, in the other, a sword which he is making into a plowshare, symbolizing man's desire to put an end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of all mankind.

The original concept comes from the Christian Bible Old Testament, King James translation, Isaiah 2:4:


And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

 

No comments:

Post a Comment