Scot McKnight from his book One Life.
I’ve never met anyone who is against peace with God and others, and I’ve never met anyone against justice, and I’ve never met anyone who is really against love. In fact, it is not a stretch to think that the kingdom dream of Jesus puts into words the deepest dream of everyone. Which leads to the double-edged question: Why is this dream still so much about the future and so little about what is going on now?
Let me stop what I think may be going on in the heads of many: the answer to that double-edged question is not to be sought in the faults of others. We can’t stand up now and say, “It would happen if everyone in the world were like me.” We can’t point our fingers and say, “It’s because of the Communists or the Marxists or the Democrats or the Republicans.” We can’t even point at our parents and say, “If only I hadn’t had a cold and distant father.”
I want to ask this question more directly now and I’m asking you to be deadly honest: Why is this kingdom dream still so much about your future and not about what is going on in your life right now? Why aren’t you realizing this dream in your life? Why do you find yourself not at peace with God and with yourself and with others? Why are you not practicing justice everywhere you go? Why are you not loving some people but loving others? Why do you want this dream but can’t find it? Why do you crave
the Kingdom.Life but are afraid to reach out and take it?
It is too easy to ask this question and then get distracted by interesting and stimulating things in life, so I want to ask you to think about this seriously. Somehow we’ve got to face an all-too-real set of questions we all encounter:
Why do we want what we know is best,
what is good, what is loving,
what is peaceful,
what is just
and what is wise …
but can’t find the energy, the resources, the willpower,
or the ability to live them out on a day-to-day basis?
Why are you holding back?
What are you holding back?
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