The Kingdom of God on Earth

So what might the Kingdom of God on earth look like? Here are a few of my thoughts:

Laughter and larking about (Luke 6:21)

Hugs and kisses (Luke 15:20)

Shelter, clothing, warmth,

Clean water and organic seasonal food (Luke 6:20-21)

Active listening, meaningful dialogue, mutual understanding and preemptive peace making (Matthew 5:9)

Caring, committed friendships & relationships with clear boundaries

Strong family units linked to strong shared communities (Acts 2:42-47)

Shared resources, power and responsibility (Acts 4:32)

Age, race, gender and sexual equality

Freedom of movement

Forgiveness and restorative justice (John 8:1-11)

Meaningful work

Generous pay (Matthew 20:1-16)

Maternity and childcare

Preventative medicine & healthcare (Luke 10:33-35)

Elderly and hospice care (1 Timothy 5:1-8)

Parks, gardens and greenhouses

Clean land, rivers, oceans and air

Forests, deserts, mountains and icecaps

Elephants, tigers, rhinos and cheetahs

Tarantulas, termites and tadpoles

Birds singing, monkeys howling, waterfalls thundering

Space, time, energy

Silence, stillness, stars

Literature, philosophy, theology, psychology, science and astronomy

Architecture and interior design

Rock climbing, rallying, river rafting and rocketing

Sky diving, skiing, sailing, swimming and cycling

Football, fencing, free diving

Hockey, horse riding and heptathlon

Chess, Carcassonne and Cluedo

Sunbathing and sandcastles

BBQ and bonfires on the beach

Cake and cappuccino

Ice-cream, cookies and carrot sticks

Fantasy and film

Songs and speeches

Worship and wonder

Rock, reggae, rap

Opera and orchestras

Cartoons, comedy & clowns

Theatre and magic

Fairy tails and romance

Feasting, fine wine and fiestas (Luke 15:22,23)

Disco, Swing and Salsa (Luke 15:25)

Secret skinny dipping

Passionate love making (Song of Songs 7)

Have I missed something? Still too limited? Add more detail. Expand my pictures edges. Make the colours brighter. Turn up the volume. Make it grander.

All this available to all people. All of this with God, through God and in God. Heaven on earth linked with heaven above. And all this in relationship with a God that gets down to our level, wanting us to know him personally, lovingly, intimately, safely. A God that got off his throne and came to live with us as one of us. To eat with us, talk with us, laugh with us, party with us, sufferer with us, even die with us and for us.

Copyright Sean Kennedy 2022