Friday, July 13, 2007

What Does the 'Kingdom of Heaven' Look Like?

We've all grown up with pictures of Heaven in our heads; white robes, floppy little wings, Clarence, fluffy clouds, a harp maybe, Warren Beatty in a running suit, big shiny gates attached to.... more fluffy clouds?

One of the daily Gospel's this week was from Matthew 10. Jesus is sending out the 12 Apostles (like the 12 tribes of a New Israel) and He tells them to pass this on: "As you go, make this proclamation: 'The Kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Great! It is? Where would that be? As we look around, heaven is not always clearly seen. At least, not the vision of heaven that perhaps we thought heaven was...

A SWEET TANGENT....

I'm half way through Pope Benedict's new book (it's fantastic). With nearly every page I find myself pausing and going "whoa... I never thought of that before." The Pope weaves together both Old and New Testaments like a fisherman weaving his net, and according to one article I read, he's catching some new readers. Ones who never saw this quiet scholar with the heart of a father coming. A section I recently read talks all about what this "Kingdom of God" (aka Heaven) really looks like.

Here's what it's not:

- It's not a time shrouded in the future when we imagine all the people, living life in peace... woohoo aahaahaah... (little Lennon there)

- It's not a castle in the clouds, where nobody shouts or talks too loud.... although there is a lady all in white, who holds us and sings a lullaby ;) .... (Les Mis, anyone?)

- It's not even, primarily, a place where Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, Catholics, Protestants, Jews and Muslims finally accept each other and we all just get along..... (...Rodney King?)

- and finally, the Kingdom of Heaven is not a palace with pillars, banners, and trumpets with the whole gaggle of humanity toting togas and sort of fanning God as He sits on a golden throne. (He likes to stoop down low and wash our feet, remember?)

The Pope says that the Kingdom of Heaven is.... a person. It's Jesus.

St. Edith Stein, that pillar of intellect and sanctity who was born Jewish, then became an atheist, then found Jesus, became a nun and was later killed in Auschwitz (what an amazing roller coaster ride that was!); she knew this truth about the Kingdom, that it's a person not a palace.

She said "In the heart of Jesus, which was pierced, the kingdom of heaven and the land of earth are bound together. Here is for us the source of life."

Our longing for love finds its home in a Sacred Heart, not gilded halls. This Kingdom has been misrepresented. I don't want golden streets as much as I want to kneel at His feet. Can I get a witness?

So let's hear this word of Jesus today as a word for us to come closer to Him, the One Whose love drove Him to take on a body for us. And a heartbeat that will never ever stop beating for us. Think about that one for a minute. Whoa.

"The kingdom of heaven is at hand" means here I am! Come and see!

Amen! Thy Kingdom come!

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Greetings Friend
Are you in the Kingdom of Heaven? Do you have joy in your life? Tell me a little about yourself - leave a comment!!
PEACE BE WITH YOU
MICKY

Abby said...

Thank you for your view on the Kingdom of Heaven. I was searching what does Kingdom of Heaven looks like when I was reading Matthew 13:44 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hiddne in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field". Your comment about Pope Benedict said the Kingdom of Heaven is Jesus make so much sense. The next thing is would do I believed it in all my heart that this is the treasure that I will sold everthing to have this Kingdom of Heaven? I hope one day I can whole heartly say so. Amen. Abby

The Heart of Things said...

Thanks Abby, though I'm a little late on the reply! It makes sense for me too. I think we all crave a relationship that will be ever deepening in eternity, not just an eternal dwelling. Home is in the heart, His heart. What a mystery!

MDK1974 said...

Hi.

Interesting comments regarding the Kingdom of Heaven. I believe the Kingdom of Heaven will be on earth. This will simply take place when the judgement and tribulation and 'all the former things have passed away'. The explanation that Christ himself is the Kindom of God or Heaven...I don't know...what about God's coming intervention? God says 'no man knows the day or the hour' and he also says 'And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh should be saved'. This implies the necessity for God's intervention in mankinds affairs. If this is the case, then man would wipe himself out without this intervention. Where then would the Kingdom of God (Jesus)be? I don't think I'm putting forth a counter argument here...just offerring some further commentary on an interesting post.

John 14 1-4: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

These verses hold such weight...Amen.

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