‘Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven....
As I take my place and sound my opinions in the marketplace of ideas, I hear many more ideas about what should be done, what should have been done, and what we should do now. (After it's all said and done, there's a lot more said than done.)
I hear of security, (meaning dominance over allies and potential enemies;) and sustainability, (meaning an illusive balance between conservation and waste). And many other ideas. I hear the president praised and damned for whatever he does.
And as I realize that whatever I hoped to see before I die will never happen no matter how long I live, I wonder what God's kingdom will be like. Certainly, I have no idea; and fewer ideas about it today than I had yesterday. I can't imagine a kingdom, democracy, oligarchy, or theocracy governed with mercy and justice.
And so I say, "Thy kingdom come!" and let it go at that. And, for good measure, "Thy will be done."
Revelation 12 describes the conquest of heaven when Saint Michael and his angelic battallians purged the everything in the universe except the Earth of all the principalities, powers, world rulers of this present darkness, and the evil spirits in the heavens. (Eph 6:12) with whom we struggle.
And then I see spy satellites and more dangerous hardware launched into near-orbit around the earth. All Saint Michael's triumph, why are we repopulating the sky with our demons? He'll just have to do it again on that Great Day.
The Lord's Prayer is reassurance for us. We cannot imagine peace on earth; but we can hallow God's name, await his kingdom, and try to make peace with our neighbors before they haul us into court.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.