Episode 137 - When Heaven Meets Earth

The news is often hard to watch, but recently all that fills our screens in the wake of George Floyds murder has my emotions knotted up in a way that they haven’t been for a while. I’m filled with sorrow as I see the injustice, and the pain, and the broken relationship on both sides of the fence. When I hear people talk about it, I wonder if these words are serving to bring people together, or widen the divide. I’ll be honest, when I hear the phrase “Black Lives Matter” I feel a pain deep down inside my soul. I hate that phrase, but please before you judge me on what you think I might be about to say, take a moment to read it and see that it isn’t what it sounds like. I hate the phrase because the very slogan which is trying to enforce unity is emphasizing the difference. It’s making a big deal out of something which should not matter (the first word not the whole sentence). I hate it because it should not need to be said. But it does. I hate that in a world where we are able to make saltwater drinkable and can fly medical supplies to remote locations with drones, it’s needed to be said that our opinions of someone and their value should not be informed or decided upon by the colour of their skin. Or the uniform that they wear or the neighbourhood that they’re from. Nor is it okay to change our behaviour towards them because of these things. As much as I love this world, sometimes I really hate it.  

When Jesus walked upon this earth, He declared that the kingdom of Heaven (or of God depending upon whether you’re reading the gospel of Matthew or one of the other three accounts) was near. This kingdom that He spoke about was radically different from other kingdoms on earth. The rules of this kingdom where not made by man but by God. Its rules weren’t made to benefit just a few, nor were they a compromise where everyone missed out equally, rather it was a kingdom where everyone was equal and everything was as it should be. Yes, this kingdom is the one that will rule when the world as we know it ends, but it will not begin its rule then, in fact it’s already here. It’s not a kingdom with borders, whose rules you must follow once you step into its lands. Rather it’s a kingdom you chose to belong to wherever you are and whose rules you carry in your heart wherever you go. I for one am part of this kingdom, although I often fall short of its standards, my citizenship is never repealed, but rather my failings are met with mercy and grace. But as I watch all these things on my TV screen, I wonder how far have I fallen? It is easy to stand up for the way things should be when everyone else is, but what about when they’re not? Racial inequality is just one of the many injustices and failings that our world is often happy to ignore. It’s not just about joining in with the protest singers, it’s about what I hold to be right in my heart. And is that being shaped by the kingdom of God, or one of the many kingdoms of man?