Eclectic Christian

by Joshua Hearne

He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.
(Luk 13:18-22)

So what do we do with this?

The Kingdom of God slips in the back door when you’re not looking. You turn around and it’s not there. It’s always in that place where your eyes don’t go. Always eluding your definition, analysis, and explanation.

The Kingdom of God is that imperceptible something that produces evident and clear fruit. Though it’s tiny, it is the seed of great healing and redemption. From this overlooked seed comes great fruit and great change.

The Kingdom of God does not have a flag, border, capitol, zipcode, or budget. You cannot legislate the Kingdom. You cannot take a census of the Kingdom. You cannot politicize the Kingdom. You can try but I think you’ll find that when you get there you’re not “there” anymore.

The Kingdom of God is like a handful of sand. It may rest on your hand but grasping causes it to slip between your fingers. Seek it and you might get lost. Nail it down and you’ll have a board and nail but no kingdom.

What, then, can we say about this Kingdom? This Kingdom of God?

It is alive in the world right now. It is sowing seeds of redemption and harvesting change. It is the community of all those who place their trust, albeit sometimes irrationally, in a figure who promised redemption and healing and was both God and Man. The Kingdom of God is the Church Universal. That same entity that the Apostle’s Creed calls “The Holy Catholic Church.” It is the collection not of all those who agree with some set of propositions but, rather, of all those whose faith will not let them go. It is alive in those who preach redemption, reconciliation, love, justice, mercy, and peace. It is life for those who have departed from death.

Plus, it’s a scandalous thing. It’s a weed that grows in your backyard when you’re not looking. It’s the crabgrass that breaks up the sidewalks that run in your mind. It’s an infection. It’s a virus. It’s like a dandelion in the hands of a four-year-old–ready to be spread out into the world by being destroyed and scattered. When it grows and begins to be noticed, it’s inviting the fowl of the air into its branches. The Kingdom is associated with all the wrong people at all the wrong times and there’s nothing that we can do about it–except sit back and laugh at the ridiculous way that grace and mercy works in our world.

We can be amazed at how a gated community that has the right reputation can be like an alabaster jar full of dirt and death. It may be that the gates to our communities aren’t keeping them pure but, rather, making us into swamps full of death and decay. Mind you it’s respectable death and socially adept decay but it’s still death and decay. But, then, just as we start getting comfortable with a new set of rules and a new law, the Kingdom breaks down those barriers, too. There’s no room for blame or us/them in the Kingdom. The Kingdom doesn’t have time for it–it’s too busy freeing captives, healing the sick, and giving sight to the blind.

So what can we say of this Kingdom of God? The Kingdom of God is at hand.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, because we’re mucking it up by ourselves down here.

I have often wished that I was more of a wordsmith than I am, but unfortunately I am not. I am not sure, but I think it might have to do with having too many Presbyterian aquaintances. Go ahead, Google “Presbyterian Poetry”. Trust me, you will not find pages and pages of hits.

But just to show you that you can’t put Presbyterians in a box, along comes Tim Melton. The two poems that he has written at his site are probably two of the best poems I have read in a long time. I hope that he has more that he can share with the rest of us.

Here are a couple of samples to wet your appetite. The first is taken from the perspective of a dying maple leaf. The second is taken from the story of the man living among the tombs who is possessed by “legion”. Read the rest of this entry »