300 years ago, humanity experienced much more unpredictability, death, disease, loss, instant poverty, crop failures, etc., than it does today. Regardless of how hard one might try to control the world, there weren’t any guarantees that things would work out – even the kids knew it.

In the mystery and lack of control, our thoughts about us and God were much different. It was easier to be thankful when things worked out, and more dependent on others when they didn’t. Folks lived more intimately with the reality that this world is not our oyster; it does what it wants, caring little about justice, suffering, the American dream, or being at anyone’s beck and call.

It was more difficult for our cultural forbears to live under the illusion of control and mastery that governs our minds today.

Then, we grew up.

In a short time, everything changed. In rushed the Continue reading The Future of Us: Things We Need to Rethink as Humanity Enters Her Adolescence

Jesus spent most of His time prattling on about the “Kingdom of God,” i.e., His understanding of what the world should be like, how it should operate, it’s values, practices, benefits, etc. Of course there were(are) huge differences between Jesus’ theotopia and how our world operates today, but He assured us that God’s kingdom would one day be a reality, and that we should live and act like her citizens.

His disciples lived in great expectation of this kingdom, calling Jesus “King,” “Messiah,” “Savior;” fully convinced that His advent meant that His kingdom would follow close behind.

That’s also why so many rejected Jesus as Messiah. From their point of view, there was no kingdom. The Roman Empire continued to have its way with all things Jewish, and Jesus’ followers were the losers, sinners, and rejects of the day. No palace? No golden throne? No lighting bolts for their enemies? Whatever.

Jesus’ detractors had their own understanding of how the world should operate, their own vision for “kingdom,” and they had found a way to make money from it. They wanted nothing to do with someone who’s kingdom vision didn’t jive with theirs, especially one that their “customers” found much more compelling.

The Kingdom of God is Like…

Jesus spent so much time talking about His kingdom because all of humanity has a vision for how things should work, an overwhelming hope for things to come. He also knew that the kingdoms in our minds, and how we try to force them on the world, simply don’t cut the muster, and tend to cause massive problems.

For example, recently, a self-avowed white nationalist Continue reading What White Nationalism Can Teach Us about the Kingdom of God