I’ve been thinking about this more often than not these past couple of weeks. Ever since it came up in the teaching videos we’ve been showing to our students on Sunday mornings.
And truth be told the kids don’t really seem to be into it. We draw blank stares whenever we ask the questions. What does it mean that we’re part of this upside-down kingdom?
Yes, what does it mean? Forget the kids and ask myself. What does it mean?
Living with a houseful of teenaged boys can feel pretty upside-down, that’s for sure. Upside-down and inside-out and one step away from just-plain-crazy. But that’s not the point and I know it.
It’s probably the answer to all of my questions. The questions that have tormented my soul and kept me stuck through this long dark season. The problem is ME and how I see this Kingdom.
Aren’t we all quite desperate to have our own little kingdoms our own little way? My life the way I want it now – and if I’m to be honest I’d have to admit, I’m wearing myself out trying to carve out this kingdom for me.
And it sucks… to use a very popular boy-world phrase. (In my perfect kingdom I’d ban this saying, along with a host of others. I would also ban mindless media consumption, rap music, and pop cans. But I digress.)
What does it mean that we’re part of an upside-down kingdom… where the King’s name is JESUS? I need to know this.
Our world’s a mess. Have you noticed? Protests and tantrums and social-media ranting and every sort of battle wherever we look. Our best efforts are getting us nowhere. We’re stuck in a perpetual January funk.
During the days of my own funk I got stuck on a particularly bothersome question. How long, God? How long? Why are you waiting such a ridiculously long time to DO SOMETHING?
This Christmas story is over 2000 years old and goodness, haven’t you had enough time.
What in the world are you doing? I asked this question like a broken record until I nearly lost my mind.
And then I heard THIS on a Sunday morning:
He (Jesus) unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
And then the guy on the video said – Jesus is the King of the Upside-down Kingdom. And that’s when it stuck me.
I need to live THERE.
There. Here. Now. In THAT KINGDOM. With that King.
Yesterday a war nearly broke out in my kitchen over a missing candy bar. I’m not even kidding. You can’t imagine the intensity of feeling and the strong opinions – and all of us had them. Over chocolate.
And I’m happy to say this was the last straw for me. I’m packing my bags. Today. I’m moving.
New Kingdom.
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