Thy Kingdom Come
There once was a man who grew weary of the corruption
and hatred he experienced every day. He was tired of the
injustice that people experienced. He spoke passionately
of his desire for a city where justice was honored and
peace was experienced. Night after night he dreamed of
a land free of discord, a city where heaven touched earth.
One day he announced that he could wait no longer, so he
set out for the magical city of his dreams. He walked all day
long and, as the sun was setting, he found a spot just off
the road where he could spend the night. He placed his
shoes in the center of the road pointing in the direction he
would continue the next day.
As he slept that night, a prankster came by and could not
resist playing a practical joke on the sleeping traveler, so
he turned the shoes around, pointing them in the direction
from which the man had come.
The next morning, the traveler rose, said his prayers, and
started off on his journey in the direction his shoes pointed.
He walked all day long and, as night approached, he saw
the heavenly city off in the distance. It looked strangely
familiar. He entered a street that look much like his own,
knocked on a familiar door, greeted the family he found
there, and lived happily ever after in the heavenly city of
his dreams.
--Adapted from Wm. White, Stories for the Telling
The evening news and the morning headlines, from close at home or around the globe, present a picture that would have us long for the heavenly city of that little parable or for the restored kingdom offered by the Scriptures. But in a real sense the initial reaction of disciples in the passage from Acts and the decision of the fabled traveler may strike a little too close to home. Both he and they don’t know where to turn. He sets off on a journey that makes him look foolish; they stare up into the sky only to be chided by two mysterious messengers. At times the news is so bleak, so depressing we would throw up our arms in frustration. We want a solution to the chaos and confusion that surround us, but sometimes we come out looking as foolish as that traveler or as impotent as those disciples.
The Scriptures for this Feast of the Ascension speak of a promised kingdom and a pledged inheritance. The women and men of the earliest Christian communities described in the Acts of the Apostles and the Letter to the Ephesians possessed the memory of such a promised new order. Handed down to them through the prophets were the images of the advent of the Kingdom of God that came alive in the message and mission of Jesus. So they heard the message of the good news with eager anticipation. And wouldn’t we?
Of course we would. But the question is whether we are willing to go beyond eager anticipation. Are we willing to put into practice the message and mission of Jesus proclaimed week after week? The traveler found the heavenly city where he lived. The disciples were staring up into the sky, but before long they were able to understand the meaning behind the words of the prayer Jesus offered them:
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done
ON EARTH as it is in heaven.
We need to face the reality of that prayer and the hymn we often sing:
Not in some heaven light years away,
but here in this place the light is shining.
Now is the kingdom; now is the day.
We begin in our personal relationships by strengthening the ones we enjoy and repairing the ones we find broken. What would it be like if we treated one another in our immediate and extended families as if we were celebrating a birthday or anniversary every day? Finding ways to treasure and reinforce our most intimate relationships lays the foundation for so many other relational issues in our lives. With relationships that are broken or fragile, it is the better part of wisdom to start with little gestures, almost imperceptible that may lay the foundation for further healing.
Becoming more directly involved in activities that promote healing and peace beyond our families can accomplish more than just complaining about the issues that face us. The message of Jesus was one of healing and, what we today might call, conflict resolution. He sought out those who were in trouble, the marginalized and the alienated. He put a human face on the issues. Might we do the same? It isn’t as complicated as one would think. A woman who often worships with the Carmelites here in Cleveland regularly offers a prayer “for our enemies” during the Prayers of the Faithful.
Bringing our personal conflicts as well as the world’s strife and discord to the Eucharist should be part of our act of worship. Here, in the light of the Scriptures and through our Sacred Meal, we are strengthened for the task of building the Reign of God which insures that we will succumb neither to the foolishness of the traveler nor the inactivity of the disciples. For in this Eucharist, we come to understand the final words of Jesus remembered by the Matthean community are no empty promise:
“All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,…
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
