In the historical time of Jesus, a kingdom was something that was close to an individual’s heart and deeply affected their daily life. There could be culture clashes and hatefulness between a kingdom and the people it ruled over. Daily life could include harassment or worse, oppressive limits on religious freedom, and a fresh utter disdain for cultures that had endured with graceful strength for centuries.
We do not entirely have that same context today. We have politics instead of kingdoms and I think modern politics is more of an individual emotionalism where our feelings play a large role in our thought processes. Perhaps we would take Jesus’ message closer to our hearts if we thought of His Kingdom as His Heart – “The Heart of God is near! Draw close and embrace Him!” I think Jesus’ invitation to each one of us to connect with Him and all of the inner substance that makes Jesus who He is has a personal urgency that is not what we associate with historically distant kingdom living.
“Christianity affirms that at the heart of reality is a Heart, a loving Father who works through history for the salvation of His children.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
What other faiths and perspectives are suffering from a disconnect to modern life even though they are still relevant? The internet makes so much material so accessible and yet does it adequately increase our individual wisdom? Back in the days of the popularity of books, people generally read one book at a time, saturating themselves in consideration of all its content, and then perhaps allowed that to influence what the next book purchase would be. Now, we read a few paragraphs or watch a few minutes of a video and we accept these searches as being important to us yet we settle for this shallow glance as an acceptable journey.
We also insist on content being immediately relevant to us and being presented to us in just the precise manner that appeals to us. I think it is important to be more diligent in our searches for truth and meaning. Instead of dismissing something as outdated, challenge yourself to imagine what perspective may make it relevant to your modern life.
Sometimes we think we are so free and that there is nothing that could be better and more safer in life than the modern structure of work and play and technology and social media. But the safety of our souls is paramount no matter where our lives are in time.
“And even if the TV program isn’t interesting at all, we don’t have the courage to turn it off, because if we turn it off, we have to go back to ourselves and encounter the pain inside. The marketplace provides us with many items to help us in our effort to avoid the suffering inside.” – Thich Nhat Hanh
Just because our spiritual health cannot be conveniently measured by a smart device or a dollar amount does not mean that it is not just as important or more so. Our lives have so much more meaning and more potential for love than any external modern enhancement can ever bring us. Some of the most important journeys are the ones that are within you.
It is so easy to be distracted. It is so easy to give a few minutes of attention to a topic and then consider that box to be checked off. It is so easy to get lost in all of the demands of daily life. But as much as the demands need to be addressed and do have urgency, that does not negate the urgency of our spiritual lives.
“When you can get your mind to still, let all the emotions, let all the thoughts, just calm down, then you can make clear choices. A lot of times people say, “Well, I don’t have enough time.” Well, the fact that you’re going through life and making sloppy decisions because your mind is not clear, you’re actually wasting time.” – Venerable Nick Keomahavong on meditation
You were meant for more. It is important to consider what that means to you individually. Does your heart truly believe that where you are currently in life is the spiritual epitome of where humanity should be? Thirst and hunger for more! A rich and dynamic spiritual life is waiting for you to receive it. You’ve got this!
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This Post is republished on Medium.
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Photo credit: iStock
