One that day
(in my lifetime or the next century?)
a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. 

Not by appearance shall he judge
(black, hispanic asian or any flavor that is not the same as my color)
nor by hearsay shall he decide
(MSNBC and FoxNews will merge and then implode together on live television),
but he shall judge the poor with justice
(no more, “it’s their own doing, lazy, selfish”),
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. 
(“Who are the society’s real poor?  Cyber Monday?  Black Friday, Southridge Mall was open for 26 straight hours!”) 

He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth. 
(Rush Limbaugh told his 15 million listeners that the pope is a socialist.  The Catholic Church is socialist.  He was trying to insult us.  Tell us something we don’t know!)

and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. 
(After someone makes a stupid statement, you just look at the person…I love that one)

Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. 
(You are now armed with compassion, mercy, forgiveness, hopefulness and promises beyond our imaginations.)

Then the wolf (Blitzer) shall be a guest at the Boehner’s household for supper; and those making a living salary will lie down with all the WalMart employees;

browsing together with teenagers who think they know all the answers along with older adults who really do know all the answers… all with a little child to guide and be influence by both of them.

The cow and the bear shall be neighbors
(“You clean up your own dung and I’ll take care of attacking the campers at night. Fair enough?!”)
 
Together their young shall rest
(Is it possible for two semi-conflicting views to merge into one?  We always pray and say, yes.) 

The lion shall eat hay like the ox. 
(A friend just told me that the way politics was done years ago was that U.S. Senators got together at night, had a cigar together and a few brandies, then fell on the floor and found a solution.)

The baby shall play by the cobra’s den. 
(It gets a little tricky here.  “Does my talking to you mean that I’m indeed talking to you or does it mean that I agree with you when I can’t agree because of all the stuff that keeps me talking to you.  This applies not only to statesmen but to all families at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.)

and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. 
(probably the most significant of everything in this Isaiah reading.  Who takes the first step?  Who?  (Another friend of mine uses the image of dance to describe conflicting views.  “Can we dance together?” he asks.  “Who’s gonna to lead and who’s going to follow?”  And is dancing like that really about winning and losing or enjoying the music and uncovering a compromise.)

There shall be no harm or ruin on all my hold mountain. 
(How can either of those things exist when people are willing to talk together, work together, to be seen in the same room together.)

For his dwelling will be glorious.

“Sorry Isaiah.” “Yeah, right.”  “Baa-Umbug.”