Isaiah 11:6
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.
Peace beyond peace
The image these words stir up in our minds eye is beyond words. Beautiful, magical even, to envision a time in which true harmony is possible. To believe that even the natural order could be set down so that all creatures would want to coexist, rather than find their victory in the other creature’s submission.
It feels like it is not possible in the world we see around us. Nature tells us this cannot be. Wolves don’t live peaceably with lambs. People are out for their own best interests.
And yet, every year at Christmas time – we hear these words, and we pray. And we let them be a little more true in our lives than they were the day before. Every year we say yes and begin to believe that the Christ child really can lead us to a peace beyond peace.
Prayer: O Lord, Help me to be a maker of peace in this world that so needs the gift of true peace this Christmas. Amen
Reflection Questions:
1) For Isaiah, the natural order of non-peaceful creatures helped him make an image that has lasted 1000’s of years. What word picture would you draw of what true peace could look like?
2) When you look around at your corner of the world, do you see opportunities to bring peace?
3) What one thing could you do today to join Jesus as he leads us toward peace?