The Kingdom of God (6)

“‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news’” (Mark 01:15)

It is a tragedy or a disaster that modern churches do not regard the kingdom of God as the foundation of their existence. Preaching at the pulpit does not show any special interest in it either. Of course they often mention the kingdom of God superficially, but they do not have deep concern about the kingdom of God (Basileia tou Deu). Are there any preachers who are talking about the imminent kingdom of God, its meaning with deeper analysis and retrospect? Are there any preachers who are thinking seriously about relationship between the kingdom of God and life? For idea about the kingdom of God does not take place in church as a major topic, or agenda, most of laypeople cannot understand what it is, and what is worse, they do not even think about to understand. Inside of it, the church itself grows as more important organization than the kingdom of God. What is worse, the kingdom of God seems to be subordinated to the church. Church and the kingdom of God, is it even possible to compare between them? The kingdom of God is much beyond the church. Church could survive only when it depends on the kingdom of God, but on the other hand the kingdom of God could go its own way without church. Nevertheless, if church might think it is possible to replace the kingdom of God or exclude, it could mean that church does not understand what it is.

Then does it mean there is no any connection between church and the kingdom of God? That’s not it. Even if church cannot be the kingdom of God, it could be a sign for the kingdom of God as an eschatological messianic community. In this sense, church is a community with a big honor and responsibility. Honor has a meaning that church could be the closest community to the kingdom of God among all the organizations in the world, and responsibility means that church has lots of jobs to do as a community in front of the kingdom of God. But in here honor does not have much importance. Honor being related with the kingdom of God does not mean worldly honor getting respect from others, but it means an existential insight. For example, as an existential insight for salt, it has salty taste. Salt does not ask for honor, but only for being salty.

These day churchgoers seem to regard attending church as marvelous prestige. Sometimes people are saying that they could achieve the earthly heaven in the church. If you think the good thing means good, you could say that, but we should not take a close introspection diligently like a sword with two sharp blades. Church never can replace the kingdom of God. Sometimes we used to talk about evangelizing our nation or world mission, but if you say a little more strictly, those ideas could be only expansion of church, not of the kingdom of God. Originally mission is God’s job (Missio Dei), not of church. God is doing his work on his way.

Why do we say God’s mission? For church does not have any ability for mission. Basically mission means expansion of God’s reigning, and church does not have power to make it come true. Only God could accomplish His job. Maybe this kind of saying could be understood just as a word play. But look. Yet we do not know exactly what true life could mean. We don’t understand exactly what salvation of human beings could stand for. Salvation as well as life does belong to only God’s power. What we can do is just to tell people about it. Lord, let the church obey to the kingdom of God. Not boastful the church could be. Amen.