If Jesus were here today I don't think he would spend much time in churches. In fact, the time he spent in churches would probably be telling his "followers" to get outside of the church walls and get active in and amongst their communities and the world. He'd eat food with people - maybe even share a cigarette with some, but the bottom line would be this - people, people, people ... and of course God. But that is what it comes back to isn't it, love of God and love of people. So anyway, let's strip away the hypothetical "if Jesus was here today" thing away and get to the heart of it - Jesus is here today - and we, the Church are his Body.
Jesus is the Head and we, the Church, are his Body. The Body exists to go where to Head wants it to go and do the things it wants it to do. We live in such a broken world, filled with pain, hurt and oppression of all kinds - and it pains me that the church often acts as if it is so stoned it can't get up off the couch or as if it is paraplegic or something, just sitting in one place "waiting for Jesus to come back".
The Kingdom of Heaven is not complete; but it is here, now! When Jesus taught the disciples to pray he said "Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven." And you know what? In Heaven there is no oppression in any form; there is no poverty; there is no depression; there is no cancer; there is no drug addiction; there is no broken homes; there is none of it. And this is why there is none of it; because these are all consequences of sin. And when I say "consequences of sin" I don't mean the kind of consequence you get for stealing your Mum and Dads chocolate from their secret cupboard so they send you to your room and you don't get ice cream after dinner for the next week. It is more like this. It is more like you knocked over a vase and it broke leaving shards of glass and wet carpet - now you've got a mess you've got to deal to - and that is what the consequence of sin is more like.
OK, so, my point:
> The Kingdom of Heaven is here but not yet complete and
> In Heaven there is no oppression, because;
> Oppression is a result and a consequence of sin.
> So, to put into practice what Jesus taught us to pray
> That "[His] Kingdom come, [His] will be done, on Earth, as it is in Heaven." would
> Be something that seeks freedom from oppression - in all forms.
This is totally all just late night ramblings - but from here I just want to pray.
God, truly, may Your Kingdom come and will be done. And Lord, as the Church, God, as your Body, may we go where you, the Head, want us to go. God, give us the hearts to muck in and get our hands dirty. Lord, may the Church role up its sleeves and muck in in peoples gardens and get dirty building bridges between people. May we seek to live lives that don't oppress others. Lord, would we start to consider how our lifestyles and cultures need to be assessed and critiqued through the lens of your Kingdom. Jesus, most of all, thank you. I was going to say that 'you're tops' - but language could never articulate the beauty, majesty, love and grace that you created us out of and continue to form us out of. Lord may we never stop thanking you, give us gratitude and hearts and lives of worship. Jesus, more of you and less of us.
In Jesus name,
Let it be.
