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Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’ (Mark 1:14b-15)
The kingdom of God is near. The kingdom of God is within you. The kingdom of God is among you. The kingdom of God is spread out on the earth and people do not see it.
I surely don’t know what went through the minds
of those who first heard words like these from Jesus.
A kingdom? You mean, like Rome? Like the kings
who rule and tax and run things, whom we avoid as much as possible so we can live
our lives with little interference from the powerful who know little of our
lives and couldn’t care less as long as their coffers are full?
No, another kingdom, make that a new reality, a
new way of being awakened in the hearts of those who first heard Jesus.
Why did people come to him? And why did the first
followers drop their nets and take up with him, having no idea what they might feel
or see or suffer?
Or did they? Did they feel more alive in his
presence for reasons they could not understand? Did they hang on his words because
they felt more alive, more human, more hopeful and whole so that they wanted
more of whatever it was that was in him—and whatever it was that was coming to
life in them when he was near?
In other words, maybe they followed and stayed
near him for exactly the same reason I get up every morning and read a story of
Jesus, watching and waiting for whatever feelings and thoughts, questions and awareness
bubbles up—because on most days I feel more alive, more free, more loved, more
whole and able to love this crazy world and live with joyful gratitude for the
life I have been given; every morning, the cold corners of my heart fill and
warm making me glad to be alive because I catch a glimpse of this Jesus, feeling
for the breadth of a breath the bottomless love that he is and knowing, this is
life.
Salvation is one word for this, the life of God—which
is to say Immortal and Impassable Love—claiming greater territory and rule in
the rugged terrain of my tangled heart. And I am glad. For it’s a new day, the
rule of God is more with and in me, opening my eyes to its beauty spread out on
the earth in creation’s wonder and in the loveliness of gracious faces alive
and shining, whether they know it or not, with the One who is always near, bringing
the kingdom
David L. Miller
