Thought for the day – Monday 11 May
Dear All
In church each week we recite the words of the Lord’s prayer and we say ‘…..your Kingdom come’…, yet, I’m not convinced that there exists one single, unitary idea of what it actually means. Do you?
I think we have a general idea of what the ‘Kingdom’ is but when asked to explain, as I am asking you now, I don’t think you would be able to give a crisp and clear answer to my question. I do think, however, that you could answer generally, according to your own understanding, but not specifically with any conviction and certainty. Some answers we give are extremely vague. In order to ‘fill the gaps’ we ‘invent’.
The use of our imagination is essential and it manifests itself in art, drama, music and literature. Take John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ for example. Think too of the influence on Western thought of the Inferno in Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy.’ I’d be very surprised indeed if you don’t know what I’m talking about.
Flames, smoke, a guy with a red suit and horns sticking out of his head and carrying a trident. No self-respecting fancy dress and costume retailer would be without such an outfit, and not just at Halloween either. Imagery is very powerful and very influential. You’re using it just now.
In conversation, we say things like ‘I can’t imagine what it must be like, ……it must be terrible’. The truth, however, is quite the opposite actually. Of course, we can imagine, and we do imagine. Imagination is what makes us think of situations as being terrible, horrible or otherwise. We enter other peoples’ worlds through our imagination.
The Pharisees wanted a definite answer to their questions about the Kingdom and Jesus gave a very intriguing one. His answer is one that makes us think. The Kingdom is ‘within you’ or is ‘in your midst’ as some have interpreted. What do you say?
Today I ask you to think/meditate on these things.
God bless you!
Jim
LUKE 17: 20-21
Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.”
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