Journeys Of The Heart In The Kingdom Of God

Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst." (Luke 17:20-21 NIV)

I hold your heart within my hand.
It beats against my palm.
Your heart
The miracle of Creation and Re-creation
God's most beautiful gift.
I hold it now.
It is mine.
It is yours.
For we are one.
God's most treasured gift
Your heart, your life
Your heart is in my hand.

My Journeys of the Heart have taken me to some really awesome places: beautiful waterfalls, the depths of the oceans and lakes, ruins of long ago cultures and lands, cemeteries, monuments, some far and some near. Many of my memorable journeys have happened right here at home or at work. Many of these journeys were into the hearts and souls of others: spirit touching spirit, becoming one. Journeys of the Heart is not just a physical journey, but also a spiritual journey. It is a journey into the Kingdom of God. That Kingdom of God can be reached. It is closer than you think. It is indeed near you and in you. That Kingdom can be seen and experienced. It is seen as Christ works in and through others and as we experience all of God's magnificent creation. My journeys are not only in the physical world, but in the spiritual world, in the heavenly kingdom, as well. The Kingdom of God is at hand. We cannot see it fully, but we can see it in part. We can catch glimpses of that heavenly glory. But, alas, we've become so attached to the material world that we make "things" a priority and close our eyes to the most beautiful gifts that God has given us. We make "things" our god and write off God and His Kingdom as something that we will see only after death earnestly believing that it will not be too late to treasure our Creator and Redeemer and His Kingdom then. The Kingdom of God is important to us, but not so important that we would seek it right here where we are. Most of us really like the material things of this world and we'd like to hang on to them for as long as we can (and there is nothing wrong with "things," they are gifts from God as well, just as long as we remember who it is that gave us the gifts). Is our hope in eternity at a future date based on fear of the other alternative? Is it the fear of death; not the love of life that draws us to worship on Sunday mornings and then to escape from His Presence (or so we think) to live in a world where we are god for the rest of the week?

But, if that's not enough life for you. If you want a deeper relationship with God. If you want to live in His Kingdom now. Ask and you shall receive. Ask God to open your eyes and you will see: Christ living in and working through your neighbor, the homeless man as he huddles under cardboard to keep warm, in the eyes of the children or in the neighbor you persecute. Remember, His words: "...as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." "...as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." (Matt 25:40, 45) What does this mean? Jesus Christ does live. We do not see Him as those first disciples saw Him before the ascension, but we can see Him. He lives in and through others. He is above all, through all, and in you all. (Eph 4:6)

The Kingdom of God is at hand. His glory is seen in and through His creation, His whole creation. Listen and you will hear praises sung by that creation. His people sing praises. Unfortunately, many voices are only heard on Sunday mornings. His whole creation sings of His glory, His magnificence, His Sovereignty. Watch for it, listen for it: in the wind breathing through the trees, the waves of Lake Superior crashing against the shores in the storm, the birds singing, or even the sunflower bowing it's heavy head in humility. Sometimes its hard to open our eyes and see these things. It may remind us who exactly God is and it isn't us.

May God grant us all the gift of recognizing His Kingdom all around us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

This page was written for one of my first blogs; over ten years ago. It is dedicated to Maurice D. whose heart I held in my hand (as well as all of my brothers and sons in Christ from the Juvenile Correctional Facility). I still think of you daily and thank God for allowing me to touch your heart, as you have touched mine.