Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, but he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
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. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
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. On that day, the root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, the Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:1-10)
This reading reminds us of a eucharistic gathering. Bernard Cooke explained in his 1983 book Sacraments & Sacramentality: “What particular people in a particular eucharist communicate to one another as persons may be very different from what is said in another eucharistic gathering. In one case, people can signify hostility and division, class and economic animosities, distrust, and even fear of one another. In a second case, people can seem as open and concerned for one another, as warm and trustworthy, as genuinely sisters and brothers in Christ. Clearly, these two groups will perform the eucharist quite differently. In the one, there can be genuine sharing in what it means to be Christian; in the other case, any such communion is all but impossible.”
For some of us, we act like the wolf by not being a guest of the lamb, but by being a hungry predator. We are the leopard eating the kid or the young lion pursuing the calf. The cow and the bear are un-neighborly. the lion spits out the ox’s hay. The baby doesn’t leave the cobra’s den, and the adder bites the child’s hand. There is no warmth or trust. There is fear.
When we receive the eucharist we must do so as genuine brothers and sisters in Christ. Admittedly, this is hard to do in these times of COVID-19 and risk of serious infection, perhaps even death. Nevertheless, during this Advent we must be like people of the second case described by Cooke. Genuine sharing is paramount, and communion is possible.
Let’s remember that for each of us the Spirit of the LORD rests upon us. This is a Spirit of wisdom and of understanding – one of counsel and of strength. With this knowledge we wolves, leopards, lions, bears, cobras, and adders must draw in our claws and fangs. We must all be dwelling places for the LORD and for peace.
Deacon David Pierce
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