What's the Kingdom?

The Kingdom Wha-HUH???        

Between moments of bold pontificating and spouting off as if I really had any idea what the heck I was talking about (a great failing of writers who think expertise on a subject comes about after 45 minutes of research), someone had the audacity to ask me a direct question: what is the Kingdom?

I scratched various parts of my body in consternation. I should know this one!

“It’s, er…well, ya know, um…right. Okay, it’s kinda round on one end and has that antenna-looking thing poking out, and it gets great gas mileage.”

Anything except, “I’m not sure.” I was famous for that as a kid. Ask me anything, go on. If I don’t know the answer I’ll make one up and probably make it sound pretty convincing. This time I just ate the crow-under-glass and decided to plead ignoramus-ness and respond with a very honest, “Let me get back to you on this.” Okay, that’s not true either. I threw out some pat answer that (I thought) sounded good and then quickly wandered off topic. Not sure how honest even that response actually was because I had every intention of leaving the country in shame at not having a ready answer, but now…I’m ready!

The Kingdom is…

-          The King: first and foremost the Kingdom of the Heavens, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom Among Us is the King Himself. That may be the most capitalization I’ve ever put into a single sentence, yet all are appropriate. Christ is the Kingdom and the Kingdom is Him. In human history when a European monarch traveled to another realm, he was considered to have brought his own kingdom with him by his very person, so that is not only a very human precedent but a logical one as well. We still do this today. Travel to France or Mozambique or wherever and enter the United States Embassy there. The first thing you’ll see are United States Marines and for good reason; they are technically standing on U.S. soil. This not only makes good spiritual sense but is also quite convenient, as one must merely reach out to Christ and invite Him to join in your life to be able to touch the actual Kingdom. A little Kingdom, anyone? Every Happy Jesus Meal comes with a free Kingdom inside.

-          The Rule: the Kingdom, any kingdom, is also the law that governs said realm, and in our case it’s the very Rule of God. Grossly misunderstood by man in what Dallas Willard calls “consumer Christianity”, the Rule of God is often confused with the rod of God, meaning a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” that goes on endlessly for the sole purpose of making life miserable. DON’T play electronic music in church was an old rule that held for decades in most circles, but is now commonly accepted because it was, in every aspect, completely stupid. Likewise the notion that tithes were specifically for building funds, church utility bills and pastoral salaries. Great, the lights are on and Father Ted’s Lexus payment has been made, but there’s a homeless guy sleeping in frigid temperatures on the side of Our Lady of Perpetual Suffering and Hypocrisy. The real Rule of God was explained in detail on Mount Sermon, or whatever that place was; do unto others as you would have them do to you, forgive, don’t judge, turn the other cheek and most importantly, love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself. Thank God that Jesus was a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. principle because complex, legalistic concepts just aren’t my forte. So the Kingdom is law; perfect, just, merciful and all-encompassing law.

-          The Place: rationally, the Kingdom is also a place, a legitimate where (interestingly, it is also a time and we are told that the time is now). The actual geographic locale of the Kingdom of God is…drum roll, please…right here. It’s not so much being built as it is being reclaimed; one stick, one stone, one soul at a time. It might be a stretch to say that God ever lost it since He doesn’t strike me as the kind of Lord to lose His wallet or car keys, but His perfect creation was certainly invaded, or infected if you will. Since then, all of creation has been in one long, slow, stumbling fall into anarchy, chaos and evil. When asked about who’s going to be the next president my answer is always the same: I don’t know, but historically the next one is always worst than the last. The same with history. Julius Caesar was outdone by the barbarian hordes, the Vikings were one-upped by the Crusaders, Genghis Khan kicked everybody’s butt yet couldn’t hold a candle to Napolean and Mr. Bonaparte was a rank amateur when compared to Hitler. In fact, it’s been said that more people have died in the 20^th century than in all the Chuck Norris films combined, and that more Christians have been martyred in the last 100 years than in the previous 1000. I haven’t checked the facts on this, but it feels right…if “right” is the proper term to be used here. All this was said to demonstrate not only what the Kingdom is not, but where it is not. It’s not to be found in greed and hate and ugliness, in violence and bitterness and sadness. But it is to be found in love, in kindness, in gentleness and compassion and understanding and especially in the patience brought about by faith and obedience. When you love and laugh, when you are generous and forgiving, when you smile at your children while they’re sleeping or tell someone who owes you money or wronged you foully that it’s okay, then I get to dab your cheek with a napkin, baby, because you got a little Kingdom on you.

So the Kingdom is the King, and it’s His Law of Love, and it is His people loving one another and being kind to one another, here and now. These days you might have squint a little to see the Kingdom, like a hazy mirage on the horizon, but it’s there all right and getting clearer all the time. Brick by brick, soul by soul, our Lord is building Kingdom all around us and amongst us, and He will not be thwarted no matter how many thwarters come out of the thwartwork.

But the best description is, to me, the Kingdom fulfilled and accomplished. You’ve seen it, in your dreams or in your mind’s eye perhaps. Perfection. Perfect beauty, perfect love, perfect health, never ending life, total absence of pain or suffering or death. A garden that ever blooms and never dies. Bees that don’t sting and snakes that don’t bite, rivers of bathwater temperature water that is clean and perfectly fit to drink. Gentle rain showers that make you giggle and are not at all uncomfortable. Freedom, strength, power, joy and a good night’s sleep where you never once have to get up and go to the bathroom. All your friends and family gathered together without a single argument or resentment. Every dog and cat you’ve ever owned playing happy and healthy at your feet, devoid of fleas and the itchy hairs they left on the furniture last time.

But wait, there’s more!

Communications between loved ones that are never misunderstood. Noble, gentle thoughts that are never interrupted. Creativity that is never stifled. The utter absence of depression and those wonderful pharmaceuticals that sometimes make it better and sometimes make it worse. Even the memory of pain and poisoned thoughts will be gone, yet the lessons learned will remain and just be a part of who you are and what you do, and you’ll do that thing (whatever it is, for we are all so unique it’s eerily similar) forever. Every skill you’ve ever had perfected. Every talent fully expressed. Perfect order, perfect justice, perfect peace both within us and around us. Apparently my divine calling is to be a Kingdom salesman! Step right up! Grab the Savior and drive a 2015 Kingdom away now!

Sound like heaven? Well, I suppose it is because like the Kingdom heaven is not so much a place (often supposed to be some other place than here), but a person. The Person. To be in heaven is simply to be with God, and contrariwise about hell, the other other place. And so to be in the Kingdom is to be with The King. If you’re with the King then you’re in the Kingdom, here and now.