HELLO!

Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Mark 1:15

Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10:8-9

Once Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There it is!’ For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you.” Luke 17:21

I have always been a why person. I know a lot of who, what, when, where, how people. I don’t know a lot of why people. And there we have it, my awkwardness, oddness, in social settings. I am not shy, I socialize easily, I am an extrovert. And…I don’t just talk. I listen as well. Listen to any sermon I offer, you will hear evidence of my listening. And…I don’t just listen to those who are like me, who think like me. Again, listen to my sermons, especially at funerals. I will offer a memory of someone well known to the church and share conversations where the other expresses views that are not mine. And they are memories shared without criticism. I can do this because I listen. But the awkwardness, the oddness, comes when I focus in on matters that remain interesting to me. And these are why questions. And my why questions are not asked with a “why in the world would you do that?” but rather a curious tone, “tell me why this is important to you, I want to understand?” I want to understand/know.

It's why I love the Gospel verses where Jesus declares the kingdom of God has come near. We are told, repeatedly, the kingdom is not “in the sweet by and by” but rather, here, now. If this kingdom has come near, I need to see it, feel it, respond to it, be grateful for it, participate in it. Why do I believe, why do I have faith, why do I love justice and make myself a part of its unfolding? Because I know the kingdom of God has come near, in Jesus, in those people/places where Jesus points, where Jesus resides (Matthew 25). Why? Because Jesus has come near. Peace, Kevin