At the risk of anthropomorphizing here — and oh, how we love to do that —I’m quite caught by the notion of both Peace and March being represented by Lions and Lambs. In depictions of March they’re at odds with one another. In the somewhat naive illustrations of Peace, they’re cuddle buddies. They are animals, they have animal nature, one is a predator and one is not. Never was the refusal to understand that clearer to me than at seminary, when students would bring their cats out into the enclosed garden and be dismayed when a cat, being a cat, would find a rodent and positively delight in the kill. Somehow, I believe that my seminary colleagues believed that their cats were going to seminary too, instead of being, well, cats.

So maybe what we Peaceseekers need to envision is something that is neither horrifying nor saccharine; something perhaps more realistic. Lions exist (although humans need to be doing a lot more to protect them.) Lambs exist. And a wonderful world is where they are both celebrate for who they are and we don’t confuse animals with humans. The Animal Kingdom and the Human Species are set up differently. When gathered into an open environment, we don’t need to be overcome by our need to hunt and kill. Humans can reach across boundaries and make life work. Humans can make Peace between us and with the animals. March seems like a good month to consider that.