Gospel Reading Luke 17:20-21

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.”

It is all around us, the kingdom.  It is not fully here, but it is here, nonetheless.  You can see it in the smile of a child, in the kindness of a stranger, in the power of a sermon, in the softness of a musical note.

The kingdom of God is all around us.  But it is hard to see – because we are so focused on seeing everything else.  Our society is so busy right now, so busy with day to day living (and that makes sense, as our days are pretty difficult) that we miss signs of the kingdom.

On the other hand, we do not want to be so “heavenly minded that we are not earthly good” as the old saying goes.  We must pay attention to our surroundings, we need to know what is happening, we must be prepared for each day.

Yet, what will we do with that information, that preparation?  Will we just read, watch or listen to the news and get bogged down in it?  Or will we use it to be informed – and then go out and share the kingdom?

There is political discord – so we should stop the political anger and instead offer peace.

There is racial divide – so we should reach out and embrace all no matter their color or ethnicity.

There is concern and fear regarding the pandemic – so we should offer comfort and understanding rather than divisive opinions.

And these are just a few examples.  Being informed and knowing the situation is a great way to spread the kingdom of God.  It allows us to enter into someone else’s situation and offer the comfort of God.

As you start this new week, consider how you can spread the kingdom.

Peace,

Pastor Bill