Reflections on the Peaceable Kingdom Painting

By James Schact

The old picture of the peaceable Kingdom has the lion lying down with the lamb in moment of time. If they stay there the lamb starves because they need to eat constantly, as does the lion. Unless the nature of both are changed in which case they are no longer lions and lambs. Grass must grow, lambs eat grass and lions eat lambs and lambs and lions fertilize grass for all to live. They all need each other to grow in balance.

Many Native Americans had a concept of life being a balance between the red power of death and struggle and the white power of life and peace. Evil to them was a lack of balance.

A picture or the absence of war are not worthy goals now when environmental destruction and the brutality of normality surrounds us.  May we find Light to nurture and protect the beauty and health of life.

Editor Note:  Edward Hicks painted dozens of iterations of the Peaceable Kingdom.  The one attached to this post is in the public domain and was downloaded from the National Gallery of Art.