“This is a kingdom without fear”

H,

We know from experience how crippling the fear of the unknown can be. Well, even the known has its scary bit. We can feel in the air around us and in the fire within us the high stakes of living in the light and how it all adds up to the glory that cannot be taken away and the eventual resolution of all things into God. Yet, the little steps do not feel that way. Every day we are confronted with the opposite opinion to our high ideals and perfect dreams.

And, before we sound all high and mighty, there is the low-end stuff. The jealousy and brooding, the wicked smile we give as we attack life and the imperfect way, we proceed out into this jungle we call earth. All of it rooted in fear of what living in love will look like. All of it mounted upon the toxicity on which we were raised and the closed doorway through which we view the world. There is no fear in the Kingdom, but we are still on our way there.

We are still focused on output. We are still invested in results. We have let the standard of the world set into the way we assess progress. The pilgrim’s progress is something different. This other way, the light, is not invested in physical signs. The “greater works” in Christ are really the things of the Kingdom; not water into wine but lives in sweetness, not bread and fish but the bread of life and not walking on water but being led by the spirit of God. In all these things, the outcome is already sure. We are afraid because we are still looking for our lord in the world. He left. He has gone to prepare a place for us. These things on earth are just sound bites for that other reality. There is nothing to fear. The kingdom is coming.