
11 A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
a branch will sprout[a] from his roots.
2 The Lord’s spirit will rest upon him,
a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of planning and strength,
a spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord.
3 He will delight in fearing the Lord.
He won’t judge by appearances,
nor decide by hearsay.
4 He will judge the needy with righteousness,
and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land.
He will strike the violent[b] with the rod of his mouth;
by the breath of his lips he will kill the wicked.
5 Righteousness will be the belt around his hips,
and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the young goat;
the calf and the young lion will feed[c] together,
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow and the bear will graze.
Their young will lie down together,
and a lion will eat straw like an ox.
8 A nursing child will play over the snake’s hole;
toddlers will reach right over the serpent’s den.
9 They won’t harm or destroy anywhere on my holy mountain.
The earth will surely be filled with the knowledge of the Lord,
just as the water covers the sea. 10 On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a signal to the peoples. The nations will seek him out, and his dwelling will be glorious.
Reflection
This passage from the prophet known as Isaiah imagines a future that will bring a peace that is almost incomprehensible. Verses 1-5 and 10 focus on the emergence of a leader who is distantly related to King David; one who will bring peace to humankind. Verses 6-9 paints a word picture that has fascinated and inspired us for generations known as “The Peaceable Kingdom.” Together this passage imagines all of Creation restored to Shalom.
I like to think of this as the Peaceable KIN-DOM since we are all related, with our origins in the Spirit of the Divine Creator. There are 62 copies of the famous painting of “The Peaceable Kingdom” by Edward Hicks. If you don’t know what I’m referring to check the internet. As a lover of animals and nature, it has always held a special place in my heart. Edward Hicks was a Quaker minister who became famous for imagining this scripture into a vision for all of God’s creation and creatures dwelling together peacefully. He took Isaiah’s word picture and created it with paint on canvas.
The most inspirational contemporary theologian for me is John Philip Newell. His most recent book is “The Great Search: Turning to Earth and Soul in the Quest for Healing and Home.” In his book, Newell calls attention to the necessity for us to not only “Love God and Love your NEIGHBOR as yourself” but to “Love God and All God’s CREATURES and CREATION as yourself.” This resonates deeply within my spiritual core, and it connects through the ages to this scripture from the prophet Isaiah. This mandate is a welcome one as we face a multitude of environmental crises and for people who feel more worshipful in nature than within the confines of a traditional sanctuary. All of God’s creatures living together peacefully in God’s creation as God intended.
I recall one Easter morning that my family and I celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus on a beach while sailing around the British Virgin Islands. The church was a simple wooden structure with a roof, two wide open doors, walls with wide-open windows (no glass, only shutters), wooden benches, a simple lectern, and worship table. Music was vocal only, led by an enthusiastic choir. We entered with other people ready to celebrate. And with us, there entered a black labrador retriever and a goat! All were welcome! As I reflect on that memory, I realize how powerful I have found my many opportunities to worship outdoors in nature. I loved worshiping in the diverse settings of Youth Service Projects as well as the weeks at Camp Aldersgate in Northern NJ with elementary children. Perhaps most memorable are the annual Easter Sunrise Services, whether in a church parking lot or MUMC’s chapel in the woods, or in the freezing cold of the Prescott AZ mountains, or on that beach in the British Virgin Islands with waves lapping on the sand.
by Kathleen Stolz
For Pondering and Prayer
What or where are the places you feel most worshipful? How do you imagine God our Creator at work within God’s Creation? If you are artistically motivated, perhaps you are inspired to view the Hick’s paintings on the internet and then to try your hand at sketching or painting your own vision of “The Peaceable Kin-dom.”
Prayer: Creator God, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of the Christ Child, we are incredibly thankful for the image of the Peaceable Kingdom. Help us imagine the creatures named by the prophet Isaiah, those in our own backyard and those around the world. Inspire us to dream of a day when all, when ALL, will live in peaceful harmony. We pray in your many names, through which all things are possible. Amen