The Lion and the Lamb

A long, long time ago in a land far away from here there lived a Lion and a lamb.  The land was so far away yet not so distant, and the time so long ago, yet vaguely familiar. If you listen carefully you can still feel the lingering whispers carried by the wind, soft echoes of the past nudging you to remember. Now in this land the Lion and the lamb co-existed, not because they wanted to but because they had to.  

The Lion, majestic and mighty, strong and proud, the apex predator, loved the lamb. Not because he actually did, but for what the lamb meant to him. He loved that he could dominate the lamb, he could terrify the lamb and he could eat the lamb. All he had to do was catch the lamb. He had tried all the other animals but he had never been able to taste the lamb, and so with each year that passed his insatiable appetite grew. Now the lamb was a meek and mild creature who did not wish to be hunted or eaten, so the lamb who thought she was quite smart, had grown very good at hiding. 

This went on for a very, very long time. Always the Lion, 'the king of the jungle' after all, in dominion over the land and the poor helpless lamb fighting for its very survival. The fickle game they played of hunter vs prey continued over many ages on a never ending loop.

One fateful day the Lion had finally cornered the lamb in a narrow valley with no way out except a small cave dug deep into the mountain. The Lion was most pleased with himself having played an exceptionally smart game and had tricked the lamb into what was most certain defeat. The Lion who was ever so hungry, licked its lips and crouched down low, approaching its target ever so slowly, relishing in the moment of victory.

The lamb seeing the Lion approaching was terrified and ran to the cave, hiding in the darkest corner at the very back, waiting for its demise. The Lion, ever so cunning, decided not to run into the cave, after all he'd won, but rather to enjoy the game a little longer. "You are weak," he cried tormenting the lamb. He wanted the lamb to really suffer, "I can hunt you down and kill you right now," he roared. "Instead I shall wait until you are starving like I have been all these ages, and have no choice but to come out, and then I shall pounce and you shall fill my belly". The lamb cowered in the corner so petrified, lowering its head in shame. How had she let the Lion outsmart her?

Days past and the Lion was getting impatient. The lamb was starving and she knew there was no escape, only the inevitable. Finally, the Lion could wait no longer, he came to the cave entrance his statuesque figure casting a daunting silouette along the cave wall. The lamb silenced by the ominous face of the Lion in all his glory, lay huddled on the cave floor. She dared to look into the Lions eyes and face the inevitable, when something from within her stirred. She felt a flame within her ignite with such ferocity, it quickly rose to the surface, unstoppable and unyielding. She lifted her body up off the cave floor and stood there facing the Lion, tall and proud. Every ounce of her body was screaming from within, ultimately rising to a crescendo to use her voice. The words came out like a guttural battle cry "No Lion, you will not eat me, for I am not your prey". She continued, each word punctuating the air with an unseen force, "You have no power over me, for I am strong and brave just as you are, I am worthy of life just as you are and I am enough just as you are," she roared.

The land created by mother nature herself, heard her cry. Awoken from its slumber, the land felt the depths of the lambs emotions piercing the very bedrock of its home. The earth beneath trembled and the mountains shook with rage. The ground began shaking uncontrollably, loosening the rocks of the cave overhead. In one fowl swoop they came crashing down upon the Lion. The lamb edged out of the narrow exit unscathed by the fallen rocks and gave gratitude to the land and mother nature. She glanced back at the Lion as he lay there crushed by the weight of his decisions. His eyes looked sad and she felt something gnawing at her. More than pity, more than sympathy, more like empathy. She knelt down beside the Lion and said "I'm going to remove the rocks". He looked at her in astonishment and coughed as he laughed, "Why would you do that? If you set me free I'm just going to eat you?", "Haven't you learned anything?"

She replied gently, "Yes, yes I have," sighing. "I'm going to trust you, so that in my kindness you may see." She shifted the last rock that was hindering the Lion and once again came face to face with him. He stood up tall and proud once more and looked down at her small frame with a fierce growl upon his face. There eyes met and he saw something he never thought possible. His eyes were reflected back at him like a mirror in her eyes and she saw her eyes reflected back in his. His face softened and his eyes melted. After all these years chasing after her he realised he couldn't live without the Lamb. The realisation of a new dawn filled him with a profound sense of knowing. Knowing, he loved her. The Lamb seeing the peaceful look wash over his face and the truth in his eyes, knew something she had long suspected was true. She knew at that very moment that he loved her and that she loved him.

And so the Lion loved the Lamb knowing that it would have to resist the urge to eat the lamb every day, and the Lamb loved the Lion knowing it could get eaten by the Lion at any moment. Both of them seeing each other in themselves, both of them choosing each other, both of them choosing love. 

Perhaps, we all have the Lion and the Lamb within us and maybe we can learn to be brave like the Lamb and soft like the Lion. Maybe we can choose to love each other. Maybe we can choose to love all of ourselves.

The beginning...

Melanie Saint-James is a writer for IDARES CENTRAL.

All ideas and opinions expressed are those of the author and cannot be reproduced or copied without prior permission. All images produced are the property of the author.