A Vanishing Kingdom – part three

When you fall in love with someone, you can’t stop thinking about him; you look for every opportunity to be with her; you look for ways to show your love for him; you want to tell everyone else all about her. So I had to ask myself:

How often does Jesus occupy my thoughts; how frequently do I seek ways to spend time with him; do I look for ways to show him my love; do I find myself telling others about him and how much he means to me?

Me? Blind Spots? – I Don’t See Them!

As I considered those questions I found myself looking down at the ground and shuffling my feet a lot.  What about you? We all have blind spots and by definition can’t expose them on our own. We need brothers and sisters in the Body of Christ to shed light on them and raise our awareness of them in order to bring about meaningful and lasting change.  

Of the aforementioned questions leading to the feet shuffling, I’d like to share some of my responses to having my blind spots exposed.

• Jesus on my mind.  Paul’s letter to the Thessalonian community provided the most radical answer.  “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18, NRSV).  But how in the world does one go about praying without ceasing in joy and thanksgiving?  I got a little help from the Greek words used in this passage, since they can mean “omitting no opportunity”.  That sounded more like a reachable goal, or at least one towards which I could spend a lifetime in pursuit.  Staying in dialogue with God at every opportunity.  Here are some of the things I’ve attempted with more or less success.
  • While rolling out of bed in the morning, thanking God for a new day to know, love, and serve Him.
  • While eating breakfast, thanking God for the farmers that produced the oranges for the juice and the wheat/corn/oats for the cereal and toast; for the cows, pigs, and chickens that contributed the milk, butter, bacon, and eggs;  for the truckers that delivered them to the grocery stores.
  • While showering, thanking God for the (seemingly endless) supply of hot water (have you ever had to take a cold shower?!); for the makers and suppliers of the soap and shampoo; for the gift of our skin, the body’s largest organ, that carries out so many essential functions.
  • While teeth brushing, thanking God for them and the role they play in chewing my food, speaking clearly, and smiling confidently.
  • While dressing, thanking God for the makers of my clothes and shoes (can you imagine having to make your own?)
  • While travelling to work, thanking God for the gift of modern transportation (I’ve traveled by car, bus, and light rail, but never by horse).
  • While paying utility bills, thanking God for the gifts of water for drinking, washing, cleaning, and cooking, and for indoor plumbing; for natural gas to heat our house, our water, and our stove; for electricity and its innumerable uses; for trash and sewage services (can you imagine having to dispose of these yourself?).  I deliberately still pay by check so that I can take the time to express my gratitude to God for these resources.

Don’t tell me; show me

• Spending time with Jesus. The main means for this one is starting out the day with private prayer (after the rolling out of bed part).  Hand in hand with that is reading, studying and praying Scripture.  And for Catholics, regular participation in the Eucharist is indispensable.
• Showing my love to Jesus.  Without a doubt, it’s by serving others.  Jesus made it absolutely clear that our lives will be measured/judged by this standard in the Gospel of Matthew: “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me” (Mt. 25:40, NRSV).
• Telling others about Jesus.  Sharing the Good News with others and witnessing to its power in our lives.  This one is a game changer at which the Christian people at large have largely failed; and I’m one of the larger failures.  I’ve been infected by the virus of tolerance, which demands that I tolerate “every wind of doctrine”(Eph. 4:14) being blown to and fro.  I often find myself in silent compliance for fear I would offend someone or be accused of “hate speech” for imposing my beliefs on them.  Yet, the final words of Jesus to his eleven disciples commissioned them in no uncertain terms to carry on his work: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.  And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Mt. 28: 18ff, NRSV).”  This tells me three things; one – we have the authority of Jesus backing us; two – we are to disciple others and then teach them to obey the Word of God; three – we are never alone with Jesus as a constant companion.  And four – without one and three I (we) would never attempt two.

All of this can seem overwhelming.  But when you’re truly in love, you’re not influenced by what others think, or by how much time it will require, or what acts of service it demands.  No one says, “Before I enter into this relationship, can you spell out for me what your expectations are so that I can decide if I have the time and energy for this?”  No; you’re consumed by love’s powerful attraction.

If we’re going to stem the tide of the vanishing Kingdom of God, we need to make it visible to those around us. They need to see its power, its healing, its mercy, its light, its truth, its life.  In short, we must manifest the Kingdom in our lives for all to see and hear.  As Jesus said in response to the Pharisees’ question about its coming, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is within (among) you (Lk. 17: 20-21).” So the question becomes: “Is the kingdom of God within me? Or am I another casualty in the vanishing kingdom?