What are we Waiting for?

As we are immersed in the life and death of Michael Jackson, my mind took a leap toward thoughts about the “Kingdom of God.”  Not sure why, but it may have something to do with Michael Jackson’s creation of Neverland Ranch.  It is as if Michael Jackson wanted to create a place on earth that matched something he could see inside himself; a place of peace, tranquility, harmony and at the same time fun. 

We Christians pray a prayer we simply call the “Our Father.”  Many of us pray this prayer on a daily basis, others at least when at Church, and others maybe only when in need.  We are really familiar with the prayer, and while there are differences in some of the words in the prayer depending on your faith tradition, for the most part this is a prayer all Christians hold in common.  Here is the version I am most familiar with:

Our Father, Who art in heaven
Hallowed be Thy Name;
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Notice that I have used the older version, because it is the one I originally learned, and so it is the version I still turn to in prayer.  It has old words, like “Thy” and “art” and “hallowed” that we don’t even use today.  Nevertheless, it is a prayer full of meaning.  I have bolded the words that have become full of meaning for me:  “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  Please notice what we are praying whenever we pray this prayer.  We are praying that the ways of God will come into our world, displacing the ways of the world.  This is what Christianity is all about — transforming the world into the “kingdom of God.” 

A great dis-service has been done to Christianity somewhere along the way.   Most people who say they are Christians seem to have this idea that the point of being a Christian is to get themselves to heaven.  They run up to you and ask if you are “saved,” meaning if you die are you going to heaven.  They approach Christianity as this sort of one-on-one personal relationship with God that has nothing to do with the rest of us, or with the rest of Creation.  They are of a pre-Christian mindset in that they want to climb aboard an ark, shut the doors and windows, and let the rest of the world self-destruct.  All is okay with these people, as long as they “get themselves to heaven.”   In fact, they can be quite selfish in their quest for heaven, and don’t mind seeing others left out.  I have met so-called Christians who act quite eager for what they call the Rapture, so they can get out of here, join Jesus, and then watch the rest of humanity suffer.  They are eager for the “Wrath of God.”  They are eager to see certain people thrown into hell.  This illustrates how far they are from Christ, and how little they know God. 

Christ comes bringing a message of love, forgiveness, reconciliation, and acceptance, leading to a peace that the violent ways of the world can never bring.  Those who follow Christ are peacemakers.  You see, the “Kingdom of God” is not something we are waiting for.  It is here now.  All the Gospels agree on this point.  The theme of the preaching of Jesus was the coming of the kingdom of God through and in him.  He constantly tells us to reform our lives, because the kingdom of God is at hand.  The kingdom of God is both available now, and imminent.  It is here, and it is coming.  It is here now, but it is not fulfilled.  The seed has been planted, but the plant is not fully grown.  How we Christians live our daily lives matters because we are either bringing the kingdom of God to earth, or we are participating in the ways of the world. 

The kingdom of God is not merely heaven.  When Jesus speaks of the kingdom of God he is not speaking about dying and getting to heaven.  The kingdom of God is better expressed as God’s way of doing things.  The kingdom of God is not a place, but a way to be in the world, and the way things already are in heaven.  The kingdom of God exists wherever people are doing things in God’s way.  And we know what God’s way is like in and through the way of Jesus.  It is a way of love, hope, peace, patience, kindness, joy, gentleness, generosity, self-control, acceptance, forgiveness, reconciliation, healing, etc. 

For those who love God, getting to heaven is the least of their concerns.  Those who believe in the love of God are able to let go of their concern over what happens after death.  The love of God truly casts out fear.  Concentrate instead on bringing the kingdom of God to earth, and heaven will take care of itself.  This is the Christian mission and ministry. 

So, what are we waiting for?  We are waiting for Christians to wake up; to stop following other people, and start following the ways of God as revealed in and through Jesus.  This is the call of Jesus:  Follow me.  Leave the old life behind.  Be as it were dead to that life.  A disciple is not someone who says “Lord, Lord” and then goes off and does his or her own thing.  A disciple follows Jesus and walks humbly with God, doing things in God’s way, even when God’s way seems foolish, or too idealistic.  If you want to know how God judges our behavior in this world, check out Matthew 25, and remember that whatever you do to the least one among us, you do to Christ.