All of creation belongs together in the arms of its Creator. The final vision is that not only will all men and women recognize that they are brothers and sisters called to live in unity but all members of God’s creation will come together in complete harmony. Jesus the Christ came to realise that vision. Long before he was born, the prophet Isaiah saw it:
The wolf will live with the lamb,
the panther lie down with the kid,
calf, lion and fat-stock beast together,
with a little boy to lead them.
The cow and the bear will graze,
their young will lie down together.
The lion will eat hay like the ox.
The infant will play over the den of the adder;
the baby will put his hand into the viper’s lair.
No hurt, no harm will be done
on all my holy mountain,
for the country will be full of knowledge of Yahweh
as the waters cover the sea.
-- Isaiah 11:6-9
We must keep this vision alive.
-- Henri Nouwen
The sights and songs of Christmas remind me of our hope of this vision (reminds me of Mary's). I wait for one more gift this season...a chorus of Hallelujah, for which I feel a bit greedy. A holy greed I hope! -- the kind that hopes for just one more hearing...with all of the hopes above in tow!
