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The Peaceable Kingdom          

Jonathan E Soyars 

The Peaceable Kingdom, Edward Hicks, c1834

For many years, we hung in our dining room a framed copy of The Peaceable Kingdom by the American Quaker Edward Hicks (1780–1849). We had bought it at a boot sale, so it was not in the best condition, but I loved viewing it, especially at this time of year. The painting visually interprets the latter half of Isaiah 11, which we read in worship on the second Sunday of Advent in Year A. Christians have long made sense of the coming of Jesus via this prophetic text and vice versa. Hicks famously represents wolf and lamb, leopard and kid, calf and lion, cow and bear, young and old, lying down peacefully together, all led by ‘a little child’ (vv. 6-9). To be sure, that is a captivating vision, to which we appropriately aspire. But in Advent we rightly recall the first half of the chapter as well (vv. 1-5). There Isaiah anticipates the arrival of one upon whom God’s wise, fearful spirit will rest. He will deal equitably with those in need, Isaiah says. He will overcome the wicked. And he will act in ways that are faithful and right. It is those qualities and commitments that we confess are embodied so clearly in the one we await. Without them, Hicks’s ‘peaceable kingdom’ will not endure; indeed, it may never really arrive. As this season of liturgical longing gets underway, may we certainly seek peace in and with the one we call Christ. But may we likewise seek to support it with justice, not only for ourselves, but perhaps more importantly for others. It is that truly just peace, deeply rooted, to which Isaiah points and to which Christ calls us, this day and every day, in Advent and beyond.

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If you’re interested in exploring the theology of this painting further, this link will be of interest.