Reflection: "A Kingdom Built By Love"Our reading from the Psalms this morning reminds us that we are happiest when we put our trust in the Lord.
We know that he has provided a great earth for us to live in and that he watches over those who keep the faith. All throughout the ministry of Jesus, he talked about the “Kingdom”. Sometimes this was referred to as the Kingdom of God and sometimes it as referred to as the Kingdom of Heaven. To me, the latter title can lead us to believe that we can only enter that Kingdom when we die and go to be with the Lord, but many other passages in the New Testament tell us that the Kingdom is here now, and we can be part of it. The book of Revelation even tells us that God will bring the heaven to earth to create the New Jerusalem, so those who believe that the Kingdom is only a place “up there”, that we call Heaven, appear to be a bit misinformed. Wherever it is, and whatever it’s called, this Kingdom sounds like it’s the place we should all be striving to be in. In today’s reading from Mark, he recounts the story of when Jesus was in Jerusalem, discussing some important points with the priests, scribes and elders of the temple. Jesus amplifies the fact that love is the cornerstone of the greatest commandment. He lists love as the prime mark of the Kingdom of God. In delineating this truth, he breaks it down, based on the traditional explications of the Hebrew Bible – what we now know as the sacred texts of the Old Testament. Jesus refers them back to the passage in Deuteronomy when he states that the greatest commandment is: “Shema Israel” (which means "Hear, O Israel") “The Lord our God is one.” Here, he’s trying to capture the attention of the whole nation regardless of their tribal affiliations, age, gender, class, or religious grouping - a universal demand on the nation of Israel, clarifying the fact that when it comes to paying a loving allegiance to the Lord our God, there is no distinction that stands out as a mark of division. The unity emerges out of the assertion that there is only one God and this one God should be the object of our love in its entirety and our subjection in loving allegiance. He then continues, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” It was and is very unusual for a divine and superior supernatural God to aspire love as a mark of relationship. In most cases, deities expect their subjects or followers absolute and uncompromising obedience or allegiance mostly marked by sacrifices, gifts, and offerings. In a completely opposite manner, our God speaks about loving relationship on the basis of the gift and the offering that he brings to the altar. It was unheard of for a deity to bring a sacrifice to the altar as atonement, which was a means of bringing oneness between himself and his followers. As we receive God's best, we need to be prepared to offer our best in exchange. That is the innate nature of a working love relationship. “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Love of a neighbour flows out of us living the loving relationship we already have with God. When we love God, that love takes the love of self out of the mix. It is holistic - in the true sense of the word - therefore, when we give our all to God, without keeping anything for ourselves, the fullness of God's love dwells in the centre of our souls. By then, loving our neighbours as ourselves, becomes natural. After all, it's no more “I” that lives, but rather it's Christ who lives in us; therefore, sharing our new identity with others becomes our challenge, by the virtue of our new identity. Christ lived in this world to give away everything within him - his time, resources, body, blood, spirit, soul, and even breath - was to be given away.The kingdom of God is built and maintained by this kind of love. In history, great empires come and go and great leaders rise and fall. Wealth, power and fame and might are proven to be transient in nature and there is no permanency in their nature. The only power that is proven to be permanent is the power of love. 1 Corinthians 13 reinforces this thought when it declares clearly "Love never fails." I read recently of an American Lutheran minister, Reverend Gemechis Buba who had been born in Africa. He said: “Terms such as peace, love, honour, stability, relationships, and care are very catchy to someone like me. They are catchy to someone born and brought up in a country where peaceful relationship is a rarity. Given its political history, east Africa and its adjacent region of the Middle East are known throughout the history of humanity by unstable systems of governance. I was born and brought up in a country called Ethiopia in the eastern part of Africa. This is a country which claims to have a history of 3,000 years. In reality, its modern empire state is just about 100 years old, consolidated under the emperor Minilike by colonizing the southern kingdoms and regional states. In both historical accounts, meaning in the account of the Ethiopian chroniclers attributing 3,000 years of national history, or in the factual 100 years of national statehood consolidated by Minilike, one fact stands out very clearly: This country has never seen a single day without war until today. War has been the national trademark, part of the national news, and it is always included in daily talks on the streets of the nation. However, we know that hatred breeds hatred, bloodshed breeds bloodshed, violence produces violence and Injustice begets misery and lawlessness. When children are born and brought up in such a place, they tend to believe that this is just something to be seen as a viable option and as a normal pattern of relationship for people to engage in. Violence seems to be the way to go, even a justifiable way of settling differences by securing superior status over the one on the other side of the fence. This is the way I was brought up into mature manhood. It is more than likely that I was, of course, impacted by such an enormous contextual reality in which I am placed. My thinking, reflections, opinion, and reaction to different circumstances are derived from things in my background that provided the holistic fibres by which I was wired.” Today millions of children across the continent of Africa, the Middle Eastern region, across Eastern Europe and within the inner cities of western Metropolitan cities of western nations, are being brought up to become mature men and women under the direct influence of cultures of violence and dysfunctional social structures. These environments are populating our world with citizens characterized by embedded hostility and innate inclinations towards invoking violence as a viable means of resolving differences. In most cases, heads of states, governments, and community leaders are very hesitant and extra cautious in summoning religious communities into the mix to bring about a peaceful ending to the whole process. Fundamentalism, religious radicalism, and religiously instigated clashes are mushrooming. In such times, where media is pulling the whole world very close to each other through multitudes of communication media, it is rather ironic for humanity to find itself back in the ditches of mistrust and mutual mistreatment. In other words, religions are losing their relevance in making a credible difference within the actual lives of the global community.” However, I believe that only through our faith - our love of God and for our fellow man - can we build up God’s kingdom here on earth - it’s up to us to work out ways that we can be a part of this kingdom and to determine what practical steps we can take to show love to our fellow man. It may be as simple as saying a kind word to someone who is going through a rough time, or by praying for, or supporting, agencies that are providing assistance and comfort to those in need. As individuals, we don’t need to solve all the world problems in this coming week, but we do need to take some positive steps towards making the world a better place – one where all God’s creatures can live together in peace and harmony – in love. Together, I believe that we can make a real difference in the Kingdom. In his service……………..Pastor Rick
1 Comment
Beryl Blok
29/10/2021 07:53:54 pm
Thank you Rick. This is another inspiring message.
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