The Peaceable Kingdom
Edward Hicks was an American painter - and a
Quaker. Quakers believe that war and conflict are against God's wishes
and so they are dedicated to pacifism and non-violence.
He painted several versions of the “Peaceable
Kingdom” - which comes from the Old Testament - Isaiah 11:6-8
“In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together;
the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be
safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all.
The cow will graze near the bear. The cub and
the calf will lie down together. The lion will eat hay like a cow.
The baby will play safely near the hole of a
cobra. Yes, a little child will put its hand in a nest of deadly snakes without
harm.”
“In that day” - yes, at some point - maybe this
is prophesy - but at some point, the wolf and lamb will live together!!. The
baby will play near deadly snakes!!
The link to the Worcester Art Gallery shows some
of Hick’s paintings.
And -continuing - from Isaiah 2:4
“They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer fight against
nation, nor train for war anymore.”
Yes - someday - but not today.
They will NOT train for war anymore - someday -
but not today.
I have been doing my philosophy, and the more I
think about it, the more I have become a pacifist. Yes, I am still a
“Pollyanna” - everything is going to work out well.
Wolf and lamb together, lion eating hay, child
playing near snakes - can that ever be?
Hammering their swords into peaceful instruments
- plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Someday.
Man’s inhumanity towards other men is
legendary. Hitler proclaimed that the Aryan nation was superior to
others. Blacks were slaves and were not human. In our world at this Christmas/Holiday season
there are lots of wars - from word of words to fighting wars. Terrorists
show up in cities with bombs attached to their bodies and then blow themselves
up in train stations, crowded streets, and wherever in the name of their God -
where their basic tenants talk of being peaceful (although they do want
non-Muslims to become Muslims).
We have civil wars in Yemen, drug wars in
Mexico, wars against minorities in many countries (including China, Syria,
Turkey, Indonesia, and other places). See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts for a list of current conflicts.
The wolf and the lamb together? The lion
eating hay? Remaking weapons of war as
practical instruments? It doesn’t seem possible. The optimist in me says “Someday”. The pessimist in me says “It will never
happen”
In this Christmas season, maybe someday Isaiah
11:5 can become true: “and a little child will lead them all’. Christians
look to the Christ Child as the culmination of peace. It is still better to have hope - that
someday - someday - someday. There will be peace, and the peaceable
kingdom of Edward Hicks and of Isaiah will come about!!!
Maybe the prayer of Saint Francis might come
true - someday:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where
there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness,
light; where there is sadness, joy.”
Or maybe the song - “Let there be peace on earth
- and let it begin with me”.
In this holiday season, let’s learn to love
one-another!! Please!!
Karen
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