Whenever we pray the Lord's Prayer, as we call it, we say these words, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven..." In this formula for prayer we pray for the arrival of God's kingdom here.
Then we read Jesus in Luke's gospel today.
Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, "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 among you." Luke 17:20-21
The Kingdom of God is both present and not yet. It is a paradox that invites us into the mystery of God who loves to work in the seen/not-yet-seen realm of reality. God's facts are not in the test tube but in the heart of the created order and the human creature (at least). God is generous, generates life and good.
So when the Pharisee or you or I ask, "When is the kingdom of God coming?" as if it is a monarchy, a realm with a visible head, a dominating force, we are on the wrong track.
It is rather a rule, a principle and the energy within the principle that shapes how we view reality. It has more this emerging energy than a forceful hand of control. It has a core value more than stringent regulation. It is to be lived, modeled if you will, by the life of at least the church, that society in which we yield. This is at least where it is already, in our best corporate life as a people of God...not all our corporate life.
And yet it is not fully here. It is still coming into the whole of creation. This is what Jesus calls the end time.
So what is it? It is the energy of Jesus lived. The core of it is love. And yet it is the love that is the gift of the Spirit. The word may confuse us because we too often mistake love for our manipulative manifestation of love we too often live on our own. This earthbound love too much seems to say, "I will know you love me when you do what I want you to do." or "I love you when you do what I want you to do."
The love of the Spirit is more a surprise, a generous caring, like when you simply do for another what seems best for them as they are. It is a care which goes out of its way to be attentive, to listen, to feed a good hunger, to open up to another's life as a place of God's creativity. Often it suspends judgment and simply acts for another's well being. It intuits God's core good and lets this rest between you. And it can hear you say, "That's not quite my need." and not feel judged.
It is like when Jesus says, "Do you want to be healed?" and waits to mix his spittle with earth to form an eye patch. Knowing you desire wholeness, he does the dirty work of creating a salve while waiting on your answer. Then as you say, "Yes, please," the warmth of care bathes your eye.
There are signs of it. A warm meal for one who is hungry, a gift of money given to help a need, clothing collected for the poor, attentive listening in a lonely place or distracted place, the warmth of a gentle hand, the sounds of repair in a place too neglected by the lack of means, a piece of bread and a sip of prayerful wine, can all be signs. Yet they are not the kingdom, just the signs.
The kingdom of God or perhaps better, the realm of God, is something we yield to, allow to pass into and out of us. Jesus says, "They will say to you, 'Look there!' or 'Look here!, Do not go, do not set off in pursuit." Luke 17:23
His point is the rule of Love will surprise you. Yield to it. Lose your life for it, for you cannot save your life as so many dollars. You can only spend your life as an ever opening gift, knowing it will replenish when least you expect it.
I think we know this reign best when we have felt refreshed by the mystery of eternal care passing our way. Sometimes it flows into us, sometimes it flows out of us. But we do not own it. For a moment we are it. Then we think "Is it here?" and we know, "Yes...but not yet."
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