O King of the Nations

"O come, Desire of Nations, come, bind
Into one the hearts of all mankind.
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace."


Another version puts it this way:


"O King of the Nations and the Desired of all, you are the cornerstone which binds two into one: Come, and save poor humankind whom you fashioned out of clay."


Jeremiah (10:7) refers to "O King of the nations". Isaiah (28:16) also refers to the coming Messiah as a "cornerstone", as does Matthew (21:42). In this sense Jesus the Messiah is like a cornerstone, uniting separate entities, peoples, nations. He is the shalom-maker par excellence: the King of Peace who integrates groups of people and brings wholeness and integration within each person. With him there are no boundary lines, setting any group or person off from another. In the words of St. Paul: "There is no Jew nor Greek; there is neither bond nor free; there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:29)