Monday, February 22, 2016
484 - A Taste of the Kingdom
Spirituality Column #484
February 23, 2016
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
OK, Christians, let’s accept the obvious: it’s going to be a long, excruciating, polemical grind in these United States until November when we elect a new president.
Notwithstanding the guy in the job now, the strongest major party candidates currently are the two scariest options among, frankly, several scary options. Take a deep breath; this is a good time to remind our Christian selves about our citizenship in heaven. It’ll help us to keep our sanity, not to despair, and to trust our eternal home.
Rest easy; God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will get through this just fine. They are steady, they are truth, and they don’t have to worry about voting. For the rest of us – we spectators, respondents, sinners and patriots – it’s an annoying slog. Freedom doesn’t have to be this difficult, but we make it that way. Entertaining and irony-filled as the political debate and histrionics may be, this political season is now and will continue to be a daily test of our intellectual patience, spiritual endurance and civil wherewithal.
Instead of freedom in Christ being a simple, divine gift for all mankind to enjoy, even the mention of Jesus begets political fireworks. One top candidate believes in Marxism, not God. We have an Argentinian Pope (like God, a non-voter) assailing a nominally Presbyterian candidate as being non-Christian for intending to enforce legal immigration and mitigate the terrorism threat of open Muslim asylum.
In response to all this we have the secular public commentariat, plus our religious and non-religious Facebook friends, posting occasionally accurate but more often than not the craziest, misinformed, factually bereft, doctrinally ignorant and maddening religious “commentary” imaginable … about politics.
How are we to survive all this, we Christians who would first vote for Jesus?
Here’s a thought: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness …” That’s Jesus instructing the masses (Matthew 6:33) about living for God’s Kingdom by first living for Him who died for us – Jesus. Then, enjoy the blessing of being able to recognize, embrace and taste these signs of the Kingdom, even in times like these.
- Joy (John 15:11): “…[let] my joy be in you [so] your joy may be complete.”
- Peace (Ephesians 2:14): “…he himself is our peace…”
- Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19): “God reconciles the world to himself through Christ, not counting sins…”
- Illumination (Revelation 21:23): “The glory of God gives [the city] light.”
- Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13): “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Even in an election year, the kingdom of God can sneak up on us with joy, peace, reconciliation, illumination and forgiveness.
And I vote for that.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) thanks Dr. George Bebawi for listing these very obvious Kingdom indicators.
February 23, 2016
Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
A Taste of the
Kingdom
By Bob WaltersOK, Christians, let’s accept the obvious: it’s going to be a long, excruciating, polemical grind in these United States until November when we elect a new president.
Notwithstanding the guy in the job now, the strongest major party candidates currently are the two scariest options among, frankly, several scary options. Take a deep breath; this is a good time to remind our Christian selves about our citizenship in heaven. It’ll help us to keep our sanity, not to despair, and to trust our eternal home.
Rest easy; God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will get through this just fine. They are steady, they are truth, and they don’t have to worry about voting. For the rest of us – we spectators, respondents, sinners and patriots – it’s an annoying slog. Freedom doesn’t have to be this difficult, but we make it that way. Entertaining and irony-filled as the political debate and histrionics may be, this political season is now and will continue to be a daily test of our intellectual patience, spiritual endurance and civil wherewithal.
Instead of freedom in Christ being a simple, divine gift for all mankind to enjoy, even the mention of Jesus begets political fireworks. One top candidate believes in Marxism, not God. We have an Argentinian Pope (like God, a non-voter) assailing a nominally Presbyterian candidate as being non-Christian for intending to enforce legal immigration and mitigate the terrorism threat of open Muslim asylum.
In response to all this we have the secular public commentariat, plus our religious and non-religious Facebook friends, posting occasionally accurate but more often than not the craziest, misinformed, factually bereft, doctrinally ignorant and maddening religious “commentary” imaginable … about politics.
How are we to survive all this, we Christians who would first vote for Jesus?
Here’s a thought: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness …” That’s Jesus instructing the masses (Matthew 6:33) about living for God’s Kingdom by first living for Him who died for us – Jesus. Then, enjoy the blessing of being able to recognize, embrace and taste these signs of the Kingdom, even in times like these.
- Joy (John 15:11): “…[let] my joy be in you [so] your joy may be complete.”
- Peace (Ephesians 2:14): “…he himself is our peace…”
- Reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19): “God reconciles the world to himself through Christ, not counting sins…”
- Illumination (Revelation 21:23): “The glory of God gives [the city] light.”
- Forgiveness (Colossians 3:13): “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
Even in an election year, the kingdom of God can sneak up on us with joy, peace, reconciliation, illumination and forgiveness.
And I vote for that.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) thanks Dr. George Bebawi for listing these very obvious Kingdom indicators.
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