Monday 19 December 2011

Background

Why, you may wonder, in the week before Christmas, are wereading an Old Testament prophecy about dangerous animals becomingpeaceful? We have here a vision in Isaiah of a figure who will havethe spirit of God, will be wise and able to give counsel, and whowill judge with righteousness in favour of the poor and meek,punishing the wicked. The reign of this person will have remarkableconsequences, not just for human beings, but for the whole ofcreation. Peace will break out even between wild animals and theirprey. Young children will lead calves and lions together and willplay near the nests of poisonous snakes without danger. AcrossGod's holy mountain, no harm will come to any creature and nothingwill be destroyed.

Christians believe that Isaiah's prophecy was fulfilled in JesusChrist. In Christ this new reign was begun and as a result of Godbecoming human we can expect the breaking in of a new kingdom ofjustice and peace that encompasses the whole of creation, as Isaiahprophesied. The birth of the baby that we celebrate on Sunday(Christmas Day) was therefore a cosmic event of significance forall the world, after which nothing would be the same again.

Christians also recognise, though, that despite all the Christmasesthat have come and gone since the time of Jesus, we still live in aworld where injustice is everywhere, where the poor and the meekare trampled by the rich and arrogant, and where animals still liveas enemies to one another and to human beings. We live in a worldin which Jesus has already come, but which does not yet show thesigns of the final victory of justice and peace Isaiah foretold.The period of Advent before Christmas is a time when we can recallthat the world is still waiting for Jesus Christ to return so thatpeace between all creatures can finally reign.

To Ponder

What signs do you see today of a world that isstill in need of the reign of God that Isaiah foretells?

What small signs in the world do you see thatsuggest that this reign of justice and peace is in part alreadyhere, as well as not yet?

What might Isaiah's vision of peaceablecoexistence between all God's creatures mean for how Christiansshould treat other creatures now?