The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

…strive first for the kingdom of God and (its) righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.[1]

The kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are concepts Jesus spoke of frequently. It seems Jesus essentially used the terms God and heaven in this “kingdom” context synonymously, and so will I. When Jesus was being tried by Pilate, he said, “My kingdom is not from this world”.[2] He was expressing as clearly as words can convey that our lives exist within a much larger context than most of us perceive or imagine. We usually consider our world as the reality we label as outside of ourselves – other people, trees, stars, weather, and so on. The kingdom Jesus refers to and invites us into includes that which is infinitely external to us but also exists infinitely within us. Our being can be considered a cross-roads of sorts, where the meeting point of external and internal realms intersect. In religious/spiritual terms, internal, within, and above are used interchangeably, as are external and below. This is where our imagery of heaven being above and hell below originated, although few of us believe heaven and hell to actually be places located somewhere above (in the sky) and below (underground) us. In addition, we tend (wrongly) to consider the external world as real, physical, or material, and the internal world as spiritual, intangible, or even imaginary. When considering last week’s Life Note about the difference between problems and mysteries, problems are external while mysteries are internal, but both are seamlessly interconnected. When Jesus told Pilate his kingdom is not from this world, he was saying his kingdom is accessed internally and not externally. Pilate and others, being externally focused, had no idea what he was talking about. Many of us have the same problem today.

That Jesus’ kingdom is accessed via the internal realm does not mean it is less real or impactful. In fact, it is more so because the kingdom of God is the source of all external, earthly kingdoms, too. There is only a distinction between internal and external because we try to understand the internal realm with our external concepts. The external realm is visibly obvious to everyone, but the existence of an internal realm seems nonsensical. In truth, there is only one reality. The external world reflects the internal, and so the kingdoms of the earth are partial and imperfect reflections of the kingdom of God. Arguably the most effective way to learn about our personal inner life is to closely examine the nature of the life unfolding external to us. If conflict seems ever present in and with those closest to us, it is reflective of an inner conflict of ours. If those around us seem perpetually impatient, it is a reflection of our own impatience with some part of our inner nature. The things that bother us most in the world point symbolically to that which is most in need of attention and healing within us. The inner condition is perfectly reflected by the outer. When we react against an outer frustration, such as yelling at our life-partner for a perceived shortcoming, our frustration is actually an internal one we project onto someone external to ourselves. It is one way of avoiding facing our own shortcomings. Unfortunately, we will continue projecting our shortcomings onto others until we acknowledge, accept, and engage them.

When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God he did so using parables and analogies because there is no direct language that accurately or clearly expresses inner realities – they cannot be spoken, only experienced. The kingdom of God is not a place or a thing. It is a state of being, a conscious awareness deeper and more comprehensive than our shallow, externally-focused awareness. When Jesus instructed his followers to first seek the kingdom of God, as in Matthew 6:33, he was both acknowledging that our natural inclination is to seek for what we lack or desire in the external world, and at the same time proclaiming we will not find what we seek there. To access or enter the kingdom of God requires exploring the realm of the Spirit, which is accessed within and not without. It requires sorting through those parts of ourselves we are reluctant to acknowledge, expose, or heal because those are the traits that open the gates of the kingdom of heaven for us. It is an inner journey that does not require the death of our earthly body to reveal its otherwise hidden treasures.

The kingdom of God/heaven is all around us, all of the time. It is not so much that we cannot see it but that we do not know how to find it. Jesus provided many hints, but language and intellect only talk around the internal reality, acting at best like a finger pointing at the moon.

This is the 26^th in a series titled Crucifying Christianity, Resurrecting the Way.Life Notes are my explorations into mysteries that interest me. They are invitations for readers to explore more deeply into life’s mysteries. Engage with me or explore contemplative spiritual direction at ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

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[1] Matthew 6:33

[2] John 18:36