How often have we looked at the kingdom of God as something that is to come? Something in the future? But what does it mean when Jesus said that it is here, now, among us? Is this the kingdom we live in with all the wars, famines, ecological disasters and what have you?
I think we need to shift our focus and rethink the term “kingdom.” We need to remember Jesus’ teaching and how it was not about the earthly kingdoms that we know today. His kingdom is about relationships: relationships between God and us; other people and us; creation and us. It’s a kind of kingdom that will be unsettling to many people in our world.
Different or not, what a marvelous kingdom Jesus is teaching about. A kingdom where we find the freedom to care for others as God cares for us, where we lift up others as God lifts us up to give us strength, hope, love and joy. And think about this: this kingdom is among us in the here and now!
Where do you see God’s kingdom in your surroundings this day?
Lord God, thank you for teaching us that your kingdom is among us so that we pay better attention to what that means as we live out our faith today. Amen. — JKU