In this world of the imagination and spirit, lions lay down with lambs, children play near the adder’s den, while swords and spears become ploughshares and pruning hooks. Only when we take the images too literally do we slip into disillusionment and cynicism because it has not yet happened.

The presence of God always meant extraordinary things. Dry, parched land blossomed and became fertile. Weak and beaten down people found courage and strength. The blind and deaf were restored, while the lame found vigour and strength. Oppressed people were liberated. Most of all, new life, hope and joy flourished where it had no rational right to exist. The message? No negative situation is final or definitive. We often bewail the alleged absence of God in our world. All we need to do is look around — wherever we find the qualities portrayed in the prophetic images, God is certainly present. We can see God at work in the lives of others; perhaps we too have felt this sacred presence. God wills happiness and wholeness for all humanity. Even amidst the flood of negative, pessimistic and often heartbreaking news that sweeps over us every day, there are also countless reports of extraordinary kindness, decency, forgiveness, generosity, healing and new life. The prophecies are not precise predictions of future events but are for revitalizing the sacred imagination. We are encouraged and invited to live within this prophetic reality as if it were already present. For those who do, the lame indeed leap like the deer, and God is very near.

James adds a warning: be patient, don’t rush or ruin things in your hurry for this future to unfold. Have the patience of a farmer — he knows that the crops grow at their own speed and nothing that he can do will hurry it along. Learning how to wait is one of the most difficult spiritual practices around, especially in a fast-paced instant gratification culture. Waiting in faith and hope is profound spirituality and an important tool on the road to holiness.

John the Baptist and his disciples had been very patiently waiting for the coming of the Messiah. But now even John was struggling with doubts — he was in prison and knew that he would never leave it alive. Through his disciples he posed a poignant question to Jesus: Are you really the one or should we look for another? As usual, Jesus avoided a “yes” or “no” answer. He simply asked them to look around and note what they observed. New life of all sorts was blossoming: the blind and the deaf were being restored, lepers cleansed and the poor were being strengthened with good news. There could be only one conclusion: God was indeed very near, and Jesus was the bearer of that divine presence.

Not everyone was convinced — Jesus acknowledged that there would be some offended by His claims. He even had to defend the quirky and rough style of John the Baptist. In both cases He urged people to focus on the fruits of their presence and the message that they proclaimed. He praised John effusively, proclaiming him the best human being ever born, but He followed with a strange qualification that sounded almost like a putdown. He insisted that the least born in the kingdom of heaven was greater than John.

There was an important message embedded in that cryptic comment. New things were afoot; the old world order was passing away and the reign of God was breaking in on the world. The world would be renewed and transformed, reflecting God’s compassion and justice. Again, this was language of imagination and spirit. Those reborn and transformed in God will be far beyond even the very best that this world and human societies can offer. Compared to what God has prepared for those who love Him and walk in His ways, all else seems insignificant.