Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 1st Week of Advent - Tues
[Isa 11:1-10 and Luke 10:21-24]On that day, a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:...Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion shall browse together with a little child to guide them...There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea. [Isaiah]
December 3 - St Francis Xavier, SJ
These words from the Book of Isaiah are among the most majestic of the entire Bible. They express a hope for peace and reconciliation that would be personified by a child playing in the midst of wild beasts who live peaceably with one another. The vision was popularized in the USA by a Quaker painter, Edward Hicks, in the early 19th century and appears to this day on Christmas cards under the title The Peaceable Kingdom. The painting is a marvelous representation of the HOPE that the season of Advent is meant to preach. Hicks, himself, was a Quaker preacher.
The hope for a "peaceable kingdom" can be applied to all scenes of conflict from international to national to local or even personal situations of struggle. At present, the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East command the headlines. In our own country, the conflicts that surfaced during the recent presidential election cry out for an end to the socio-political polarization - the "culture wars" - that plague us. There are conflicts within the Catholic church over ordination of women and inclusion of divorced/remarried and LGBTQ people in the life of the church. Last but not least there are the conflicts in families and within individuals that cause continual struggle. The Peaceable Kingdom is not just a painting but a challenge. It is not a fantasy but a true call for effort to resolve conflict and violence. The "little child" whose birth we anticipate is also called "the Prince of Peace" in Isaiah 9:6. He is our guide in this season. Can we follow him and give hope and peace in this season of HOPE? AMEN