It's what's in here, not out there

This is the second post in response to Augsburger’s reflection on the Kingdom of God.

So much of our lives are lived in what I call the “when I…” stage. We tend to live out our deepest desires and our goals in an anticipation that says very boldly “when I get to this place in my life” or “when I am here I’ll be able to do this”.

Maybe we pattern ourselves in the same fashion in our understanding of the Kingdom of God. If the Kingdom of God is at hand as Jesus readily proclaims (see Mark 1:15) then how can it be something “out there” or looming on the horizon? If it is, then there is really no point in paying attention to the reality of our circumstance now. Everything suffers; our work, our marriage, our relationships, our churches and our faith. It is renewing us and transforming us daily; the Kingdom of God is inside you and all around you (see Gospel of Thomas 3rd pericope). It is easy to get lost in the modern interpretations and apocalyptic writings that sit atop the “Bestseller List” that would paint the picture of the Kingdom coming as a great battle that will take place between Christ and Satan. People who say “yes” to the previous observation most likely will not see the unfolding revelation of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ in their own lives today. Indeed the Kingdom of God is at hand… through the works of our hands. Not some distant future… but in the present that is… us.