THE KINGDOM OF GOD
We Are Not OK - Part 8
It’s not easy to end a series like this when the crisis of our “not-OK” reality continues on around us indefinitely. It’s not easy to hope, to wander together in this wilderness, to see others around us as companions on the journey instead of threats, to “fumble with love” as we trip over the meaning and intentions of our own words, or to move ladders that we have been afraid to move for so long.
No matter how much we fear war, it seems we fear peace more. Even in peace-time we pump tremendous resources into building up our defenses, presumably to prevent another war. And yet as we stockpile arms to prevent the next battle, our enemies do the same to make sure they are ready should we decide to break our treaty and turn our increased arsenal against them. What we call “peace-time” or “treaty” or “truce” often looks more like a “cold-war.” Even when nobody is firing shots, we want to keep our fingers on the trigger and stand at the ready. Who has the courage to truly lay down our arms and beat our swords into plowshares?
Isaiah foresees a day when nations will not merely live under the imposed civility of truces and treaties, but when the people shall no longer learn war at all (Isaiah 2:1-4). It is not a day when we are all so well armed that we are afraid to attack one another because of the mass destruction that could result from our escalated violence, but rather a day when everyone lays down their arms, hammers their swords into plowshares, and begins cultivating new life in the places which once knew only death and destruction. Some say this is a far off dream, maybe something we won’t even see until we get to heaven. And so in the meantime we continue to strengthen our defenses just in case our enemy is hiding weapons and luring us with a false peace until we let down our guard. (Check out RAW Tools - a ministry with Shane Claiborne which literally beats weapons into gardening tools)
While the perfection we see on God’s Holy Mountain may indeed be a future reality, Scripture consistently reminds us that we are already citizens of God’s Kingdom here on earth, and as such, we must love our enemies and seek to live in peace with them even if they destroy us. When Israel found themselves exiled among their enemies in Babylon, many false prophets claimed it would all be over soon. “Who cares about this God-forsaken land,” they thought. “Soon we’ll be going home and God will destroy them for what they have done to us.” This sounds great. It’s the same kind of escapist view many Christians hold today. “The world is going to hell in a hand-basket so as long as we can separate ourselves from them long enough, we’ll be just fine.”
The word of the Lord given to Jeremiah, however, tells a different story. “You won’t be going home anytime soon. Your enemies aren’t going anywhere and neither are you. You’re going to have to learn to live together.”
What do we do while we wait?
“Seek the welfare of Babylon… build houses, plant vineyards, raise families… love and care for those where you live, even your enemies, for in the welfare of Babylon you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29). Similarly, God blessed Abram not for his own sake, but for the sake of all nations that they might be blessed through him (Genesis 12:2).
Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand, here and now (Matthew 4:17). In Matthew 13 we find several surprising variations on this basic truth. The Kingdom is like seed scattered in every type of soil. Some will grow and some will not, but we must sow the seed nonetheless (Matthew 13:3-9). The Kingdom is like the wheat among the weeds which must grow up together until the final harvest. It is not our role to root out the tares from our midst (Matthew 13:24-30). The Kingdom is like a mustard seed or a tiny measure of yeast, almost entirely unnoticed but with growth potential beyond our wildest dreams (Matthew 13:31-33). The Kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field, a merchant in search of a fine pearl and a net thrown into the sea which will catch every kind of fish together (Matthew 13:44—48). The Kingdom is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old (Matthew 13:52).
“Let anyone with ears listen”
- Matthew 13:9, 43
We cannot sit back and wait for God to fix everything. God has entrusted us as stewards to care for all of creation and work towards the restoration and renewal of all things.
“See, I am doing a new thing,” says the Lord, “Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert”
- Isaiah 43:19
God is already present everywhere we turn. God’s image is engraved upon every human face if we only have eyes to see. God’s word is already written upon every human heart, if we only have ears to hear.
We can only live the changes we wish to see; we cannot think our way to humanity. Every one of us, and every group with which we live and work, must become the model of the era which we desire to create.…All of us are crippled – some physically, some mentally, some emotionally. We must therefore strive cooperatively to create the new world. There is no time left for destruction, for hatred, and for anger. We must build – in hope, and in joy, and in celebration.
- Ivan Illich, Celebration of Awareness
Friends, there is only one thing left to do. Let us enter the Kingdom of God.
Reflections:
Do you believe true peace is possible in this life? Why or why not?
Where do you see the Kingdom of God present in your life and in the midst of our broken world?
What one step will you take this week to “seek the welfare of Babylon” by loving and serving those around you, especially those with whom you disagree?
You can find the complete series here if you would like to read it again or share it with others as a whole
The song below was inspired by the story of a friend’s mission trip to Haiti where he saw the village on a hillside using rainwater for drinking. The rest poured out of a sense of emptiness in people today despite their increased technology and productivity and in spite of the fact that the Kingdom of Heaven is in our midst if we could only open our eyes to see it.
During that time, my friend Chuck Christensen and I had put together a small band called “Here & Now”, named after this theme of the ever-present Kingdom of God in our midst. The track below is a live recording from a small concert for students at the Perkins Vocational Training Center in Thelma, KY. The intro you’ll hear in the recording is from Chuck, retired pastor and U.S. Marine.
KINGDOM OF GOD
Verse 1:
A hundred metal shacks spread across the hillside
With a rusty metal barrel collecting the rain to drink
And somewhere across the ocean in a one room mud hut
There is a child crying for a single piece of bread
Enter the Kingdom of God
Chorus:
In a woman struck with grief, in a man who lost his way
In a child playing barefoot in the street
In a joyful celebration with friends and family all around
And in every outcast, lonely one you meet
Enter the Kingdom of God
Enter the Kingdom of God
Verse 2:
There’s a woman in a mansion with a Mercedes in the drive
She’s got it all, but it’s not enough now she just wants to die
There’s a man in a big glass office at the center of his world
No clue how much she needs him or how much he needs the Lord
Enter the Kingdom of God
Chorus:
In a woman struck with grief, in a man who lost his way
In a child playing barefoot in the street
In a joyful celebration with friends and family all around
And in every outcast, lonely one you meet
Enter the Kingdom of God
Enter the Kingdom of God
Ending:
We fill our lives with every distraction
Keeping busy, what’s the attraction
in our pursuit of happiness and eternal bliss
in the kingdom of heaven?
but Jesus said,
"The kingdom of heaven is at hand"
Right here, right now, in the midst of the crowd
it is at hand
So when will we see them through the eyes of Jesus,
and love them the way he does
The kingdom of heaven is at hand
So what are you gonna do right now
But enter the Kingdom of God
If you are a musician and would like to play along, you can link to the chord sheet for “Kingdom of God” here. These are free to copy for personal or public use in worship. I would only ask that you share with me how they are being used.
If you or someone you know would be interested in recording a more professional version of any of these songs, please contact me. I would love to work with you.