Thomas J Parlette
“Here Comes the Cardigan”
Isaiah 65: 17-25
11/16/25, Good Neighbor Sunday
Today’s passage from Isaiah is one of two passages known as the “Peaceable Kingdom” passages. In the mid-1820’s, the Quaker minister and painter Edward Hicks painted a number of works, 62 to be exact, based on two passages from Isaiah – this one from Isaiah 65 and also Isaiah 11: 6-7.
The verses from Isaiah 11 are probably more well-known – “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.” That reference to the little child is what makes the Isaiah 11 version more popular, because many people see it as a reference to the coming Messiah. So we will hear from Isaiah 11 again when we get into the Advent season.
These passages motivated Hicks to paint The Peaceable Kingdom many times because in the 1820’s a severe rift developed within the Society of Friends. For Hicks, the idea of the lion and the ox living peacefully together was a symbol of unity and redemption that he enjoyed painting to encourage the warring factions of Quakers to settle their differences and come together in peace. In the lion and oxen can do it – why can’t we.
Hicks almost always focuses the majority of his attention on the animals, both wild and domestic, living harmoniously together. What he leaves out is the first part of the passage here from Isaiah 65 – the part that talks about God creating a new heaven and a new earth. The city of Jerusalem will be a joy and the people will be a delight. No more weeping, no more cries of distress. Babies will live long and healthy lives and an older person who falls short of 100 will be considered cursed. People will build houses and live in them. They will plant vineyards and enjoy the fruit. They will be blessed, and so will their children. Before they can even think of crying out for help – I will be there, promises the Lord.
You don’t see that portrayed in Hicks’ paintings – he keeps his attention on the natural world, not so much on the new heaven and new earth - the New Jerusalem, the city of God.
In the Book of Revelation, John refers to Isaiah’s prophecy when he writes: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”
The Book of Isaiah is really two separate books. 1st Isaiah runs from chapter 1-39 and 2nd Isaiah picks up in chapters 40-66. 1st Isaiah speaks to Israel before the fall of Jerusalem and warns them about the consequences of disobeying God’s laws. 2nd Isaiah speaks more comforting words to Israel while they are in exile, having suffered the consequences of the disobedience. Some scholars, painting with a wide brush refer to 1st Isaiah as a Book of Curses, and 2nd Isaiah as a Book of Blessing. There were almost certainly two authors, at least who composed the Book of Isaiah – the length of time between the two is just too long for it to be the same author. But in the ancient world, this was a common occurrence. A disciple of a well-known prophet or someone who knew his teachings well, would often attribute their writings to the more well-known person to lead it a little more credence.
The passage we are looking at today is towards the end of 2nd Isaiah, sometimes called Isaiah’s Book of Comfort for the people.
Isaiah’s comfort are words of hope looking forward to the coming Messiah. Indeed, Isaiah speaks more about the Messiah than any other prophet from the Hebrew scriptures – that’s why we hear so much from him in the coming Advent season.
Isaiah describes the Messiah as both a suffering servant and a sovereign Lord. Of course, you can’t get the full picture of this Messiah without reading the New Testament as well. Based on what Jesus does, we know that God freely offers forgiveness to all who turn to God in faith. This is God’s message of comfort to us, that if we come to God in need, we will find eternal peace and fellowship with God – God does not turn anyone away.
The message we find in these closing chapters of Isaiah is the glorious good news that God is, indeed at work. God is restoring what is broken in our lives and in our world. As the passage says, “I am about to create new heavens and a new earth.” The world is about to change.
The toughest thing about this passage, and many of the prophetic passages we find in the Bible, is that one, little word – “about.” I am about to create a new heaven and a new earth. It’s coming – but it’s not here yet. That is the toughest thing to live with here in this passage. It’s about to happen. The question for us is – “How do we live in these times just before God creates something new.” Can we be part of that process? How do we participate in that new creation?
Here is where we turn to the cardigan. This morning we have been doing some intergenerational activities from a new curriculum that our denomination has put out, based on the teachings of Mister Rogers, called “Good Neighbor Sunday.” Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister, commissioned by Pittsburgh Presbytery to a ministry with children and families through mass media. So, “Mister Rogers Neighborhood” was actually a validated ministry, as we say in the PCUSA – much like college and hospital chaplains.
Rogers had a very unique ministry. We all remember how his show would begin with him entering the room, singing – “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood…” as he changed into his trademark cardigan and tennis shoes. Then he would discuss whatever issue of the day seemed appropriate. Sometimes, it was a topic from the news, but most of the time it was a topic relevant to his young listeners and the day-to-day challenges they faced growing up. For Mister Rogers, he always preferred talking directly to a camera rather than a sea of people sitting in a congregation. To him, that solitary camera was more personal, more intimate – and it certainly fit his quiet, gentle and friendly style.
Although he was ordained a Presbyterian, his theology was very much influenced by the Quakers – the same as Edward Hicks’ was. Fred Rogers was steadfastly non-violent. His show began in the era of the Vietnam war and continued through the Iraq war and the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Through it all, he was always anti-war.
Some people speak of Fred Rogers as a modern-day Prophet. And I can understand why. But a recent book by Michael Long called, Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers, makes the case that Fred Rogers is best understood as a Peacemaker instead of a Prophet. Indeed, at the end of a series of shows on conflict, he ran some verses from the prophet Isaiah as a screenshot at the end of the last episode:
“They shall beat their swords into plowshares;
And the spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation;
Neither shall they learn war anymore” (1)
These verses stand alongside the ones we read today about creating a new heaven and a new earth. Now, it is true that only God can bring about this new creation – but we can be a part of the process. We can participate in bringing about this creation. The life and ministry of Mister Rogers gives us some insight about how we might do that.
First of all – be generous with forgiveness.
Rogers had a deep respect for a man named William Orr, one of his professors and mentors. When Orr was hospitalized after a stroke, Rogers and his wife went to visit. That morning in church, the congregation had sung the old Martin Luther hymn, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” Rogers asked Orr about one particular verse;
“The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for him.
His rage we can endure. For lo, his doom is sure.
One little word can fell him.”
Then Rogers asked, “What is that one little word.” Orr thought for a moment and then said, “Forgive,” quoting Jesus’ own words from the cross – “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” (2)
So we also should be generous with forgiveness.
Second – Don’t be afraid to be who you are. Remember, after each day of the 6 days of creation story – God takes a break and considers what has been done. And each time, God says – “Yeah, this is good.” God said that about all of us as well. “Yeah – this person I’ve created, this person is good, just the way they are.”
Third – to participate in bringing about God’s new creation, we should strive to see the value, the goodness in other people, especially those people who tend to get overlooked. Rogers often told the heart-warming story about the Seattle Special Olympics featuring nine physical or mentally challenged Olympians about to run the 100-yard dash.
When the gun went off, one of the boys stumbled at the start line, fell to the ground and hurt his knee. The other eight children ran back to him, helped him to his feet, linked arms with him and all nine finished the race together. The spectators went wild as the kids crossed the finish line. Rogers took the crowd’s reaction as evidence that deep down we all know that what “really matters is helping others win, too, even if it means slowing down and changing our course now and then.” (3)
The value, the goodness of those competitors had nothing to do with who won – only that they helped each other finish the race.
And finally, to live as a good neighbor and participate in bringing about God’s new creation, we need to appreciate and advocate for others and ourselves. If we come to one another without judgment, but acknowledging our need, we will encounter the Spirit of God in our lives.
Rogers likes to tell the story about an early experience he had during a weekend vacation in New England. He was a seminarian at the time and had gone to hear a visiting preacher in a nearby chapel. “I heard the worst sermon I could have ever imagined,” he recounted. “I sat in the pew thinking – “He is going against every rule they’re teaching us about preaching. What a waste of time!”
But he soon discovered it was not a waste of time for everyone. Sitting next to him was a woman in tears at the end of the service. “He said exactly what I needed to hear,” she whispered.
Rogers analyzed the experience by saying that a major difference between his response to the sermon and the woman’s was that she had come in need and he had come in judgment. Because she had come in need, she had opened herself to receiving the sermon as a gift of love, and because Rogers had sat there judgmentally, he heard nothing but the faults.” (4)
We live as good neighbors and help bring about God’s new creation when we come before one another acknowledging our need, rather than sitting in judgment.
When we are generous with forgiveness;
When we are courageous enough to be who we are and encourage others to do the same;
When we see the God-given goodness, the inherent value in every person;
And when we appreciate and advocate for others and ourselves, acknowledging our common need, rather than sitting in judgment;
Then – we are living as good neighbors.
Then – we are participating in bringing about the new creation of which Isaiah speaks.
May God be praised. Amen.
1. Michael G. Long, Peaceful Neighbor: Discovering the Countercultural Mister Rogers, Westminster John Knox Press, 2015, p 27.
2. Ibid… p 30-31.
3. Ibid… p 37.
4. Ibid… p 38.
