A one-word solution
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. —Isaiah 11:6
An imagination is required for this sacred text to actualize, and maybe that’s the point. It takes an amazing imagination to see this imagery of the wolf and the lamb, for example, not just coexisting, but coexisting in peace and harmony.
Homelessness, domestic abuse, racial tensions, and the marginalized remaining marginalized are just a few of many ongoing hardships that are so deep and so painful today; they are heavy with every breath we take as a faithful people longing for better days; yet here, in these dream-filled words which become a vision statement, a one-word solution may be modeled and put into practice: imagine.
To achieve a desired outcome, the goal of this ancient text may be to see the outcome before it’s actually here. After all, the skillset required for troubleshooting isn’t to see what is there; it is to see what is not there—yet. The forward-thinking imagery of these unlikely bedfellows enables us to activate our imagination. If we can imagine these animals living in peace, we can imagine ourselves living in peace, too. If we can imagine this, then, rather than remaining still, we can take steps toward this.
PRAYER: Lord, stir in us the imaginations we have so that we see not just the problem but the answer. In your name we pray, Amen.
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