Isaiah 11:6-9
The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
The abbreviated version of this text might read: Everything in the world will know the love of God. That love will fulfill every living creature. In that fulfillment, the predators will no longer prey…and the helpless will need no defense.
The closest I come to seeing a predator is when I look out my window and see the resident hawk scrutinizing my bird feeder…or when the neighborhood cat visits the chipmunk trails. It doesn’t portray the vast wildness of the reading from Isaiah, does it? Still, imagine how astounding it would be if the hawk simply perched next to the chickadee. What if the cat slept at the base of the tree while the mourning doves and chipmunks scurried about gathering the bounty below the feeder?
The only way this could happen is if all the needs of the predator were filled and the instinct for each one to provide for its own survival was unnecessary. Whenever paths crossed or there were visitors to one’s territory, there would be no sense of threat…no need to protect one’s interests.
Isaiah invites me to look at the territories of my psyche, my feelings and ego. What would change if all of the gaps and spaces that I try to protect or satisfy on my own were lavished with God’s abundance? How would I rest in the presence of my “enemies” of doubt, fear, or pride?
Note: About the artists: More like Picture #1 (by Karen King) can be found at www.KarenKingdesign.com
More like Picture #2 (by Gale Smith)can be found at The Cafe Art Gallery.
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