Kingdom Building

November 18, 2019

Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6

Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the Lord. –Jeremiah 23:1-4

I wrote the book Houses Divided: A Letter to the Churches of the USA on Church and State in 2013, because I felt a pressing need to call the attention of persons of faith to the fact that our internal dividedness was negating our purpose.  Now I think the division is even greater. That is extraordinarily sad to me for our call from Christ to be one is the foundation on which the Kingdom of God is being built or not.

I think that is what Jeremiah is trying to say in the above scripture. We are running away some people, others are not interested in our interpretation of the “Good News” which sounds more exclusive then inclusive, more judgmental than forgiving, more hate-filled, then loving. Becoming one is messy work that cannot be done in a society that prizes lust for power and greed over seeking common ground for the common good.

Apparently, God who created us is under the impression that we have the innate tools to become one. God even came to model the way for us.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:14

Perhaps we need to search our minds, hearts, and souls and see where we have allowed the tools of oneness to lie dormant. Once found we need to practice using them until we are highly skilled at the art of being one. Who knows that may be when God returns to dwell among us again*?

Prayer: God forgive us when we let the things of the world distract us from the truths you have provided us. Amen.

*See Revelation 21:3

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.