January 7, 2023 – The Kingdom of G-d

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall this kingdom be left to another people. It shall crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever; just as you saw that a stone was cut from the mountain not by hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has informed the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation trustworthy.” Daniel 2:44-45

Catholic theologian Alfred Fermin Loisy once lamented:  “Jesus promised us the Kingdom of God, and all we got was the Church.” I sometimes agree with this excommunicated Priest. But if we understand the Kingdom of G-d as having already come, inaugurated through the death and resurrection of Jesus, then even a kingdom that has partially come in both hidden and revealed ways is still a kingdom worth fighting for. 

Christian history contains much that brings more hurt than glory to G-d–the Crusades, bigotry, discrimination, slavery, misogyny, legalism, anti-intellectualism, a suspicion of science, etc. Much of that litany of shame exists in our current events. Just look around the world and you can see how much evil exists on this planet. Nevertheless, much of Christian history (as well as the Christian present day) is positive and redeeming, and worthy of praise – programs that feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the incarcerated and the hospitalized, and welcome the stranger. These efforts recognize the image of G-d in others and, in acting accordingly, bring glory to G-d. In those and other deeds the partially unveiled Kingdom of G-d becomes visible and G-d’s glory fills the Earth.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, so many people lament the state of the church. Help me to be the hands and feet of Christ proving that even an unrealized Kingdom is still changing the world in many ways. Amen.

 Pastor Dave