Performative Cuddling
The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together… The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain. – Isaiah 11:6-9 (NRSV)
Sustainable peace must go beyond performative cuddling.
The lamb needs to sleep, night after night, confident that the lion has lost all appetite for anything served with a side of mint jelly. The goat kid needs its shelter from the rain, trusting that the leopard only wants the same. The parents of the toddler playing by the viper’s lair need to know the snake will behave itself when the parents are watching and when their backs are turned.
For the preyed-upon to know peace, the predator must be vigilantly committed to the peaceable kindom.
Similar questions were asked in the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd by police: Is this sudden groundswell of support for Black lives genuine or performative? Is it temporary or sustainable? Where were all these marchers and protestors before this moment? Where will they be in a few years? Well.
I consider myself a White ally in the movement for Black lives, yet my presence on the front lines has dialed back since 2020. Some important policy changes have occurred yet trust in the Black Lives Matter movement has fallen while trust in police has risen even as police killings of unarmed Black people continue. The true measure of progress might be: are Black people sleeping better?
In this season, as we sing about sleeping in heavenly peace, let’s give heed to those who won’t be sleeping soundly anytime soon. Let’s be a little more awake until all can finally be at rest.
Prayer
Great shepherd, we long for the day when there will be no need to count sheep or watch for wolves.
About the AuthorMatt Laney is co-Pastor of Virginia Highland Church UCC in Atlanta, GA and the author of Pride Wars, a fantasy series published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for Young Readers. The first two books, The Spinner Prince and The Four Guardians are available now.