The lion and the lamb… the calf and lion. The cow and bear will graze the same pasture… a little child will tend them. This morning I read the famous Isaiah piece that speaks of the day when Jesus’ kingdom comes.
It’s a beautiful picture of peace, the Shalom idea of wholeness, how it should be.
And at the end: Neither animal nor human will hurt or kill on my holy mountain. The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-alive, a living knowledge of God, ocean-deep, ocean-wide.
So often we focus on the part we want – peace – and miss the power behind it. When we cease to live in fear, it will be because those we share space with will be brimming of knowledge of God-alive. Once you see that everything was made by and for God, you treat it differently. It’s no longer a person to battle, an obstacle to overcome. It’s another piece of God’s kingdom, blessed in the same way you are. In that day, we’ll stop creating enemies.
“But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard – things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” (Galatians 5:22-23, emphasis mine).