“The kingdom of heaven.”
When I was 17 I memorized whole chunks of Scripture. Our Bible quizzing program required that type of involvement. The biblical book, Matthew, was one of those “chunks”. There the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” constantly occured.
A kingdom to me seemed old fashioned. I didn’t have experience that helped me flesh out my understanding of “kingdom of heaven.”
I lived in a democracy. I knew what a Prime Minister was.
I did not have a king. I did not live in a kingdom.
35 years later I’m “perspectivizing” the kingdom of heaven. Like finding another peep hole in a kaliedescope, I’m taking time to re-encounter the original context in Matthew. The picture “looks” different but the content is the same. And somehow the picture brings a new sense of God, godliness, love, people, obedience, holiness, relationships and much more.
Who said being over the hill doesn’t mean there are no new adventures!!
P.S.: On my theology blog today, I put a quote that was given by a man the same age as I am. And it sounds like some of the circumstances I have encountered this past year.