After a brief, pink-tinged diversion from politics, it is back to a recent recurrent theme, this time in the form of a dialogue we used in worship this morning while looking at the phrase "may your Kingdom come" in the Lord's prayer... It is particularly pertinent at present given the run up to European and local elections over the next week or so and bundles up a lot of the stuff I've been saying recently in a slightly different form, with thanks to (or should that be apologies to) John Bell and Graeme Maule of the Iona Community for the format if not the content...
Peter: Eh...
Jesus...?
Jesus: Yes,
Peter?
Peter: Have
you ever heard of democracy?
Jesus: Where’d
you hear about that Peter?
Peter: Oh,
I heard some Greeks talking about it... They said it was some sort of
government. But it's all Greek to me...
Jesus: Well
Peter... Democracy is government by the people...
Peter: Sure
we’re always governed by people... People with crowns called kings or
emperors...
Jesus: Yes,
but in a democracy the people choose who will govern them by voting.
Peter: People
vote to decide who will become King?
Jesus: Not
quite... Although some of those elected behave like they’re kings or queens...
Peter: How
are people like me supposed to decide who will run the country? I know nothing
about politics...
Jesus: Well,
the people who want to be elected produce manifestos to tell the voters what
they will do for them if they are elected...
Peter: Ah...
and the voters elect the one who will do most for them...
Jesus: Well,
actually they usually vote for the one who will give them the biggest tax
cut...
Peter: I
can understand that, I hate taxes... Actually, that reminds me Jesus... Our tax
bill is due again, so Judas says if you could do another trick with those coins
in that fish’s mouth the same way as you did last year that would be good...
Jesus: I’m
afraid that was a one off, Peter.
Peter: Oh
well, it was worth a try. So what do you think of this democracy stuff?
Jesus: Its
OK so long as the system is fair and the politicians honest...
Peter: That
would be a first. So is the Kingdom of Heaven going to be a democracy?
Jesus: No...
Peter: Why
not?
Jesus: Well,
tell me... is the majority always right?
Peter: Depends
on how big a majority.
Jesus: What
do you mean?
Peter: Well,
I’m not going to stand up and tell a mob of people that what they do or say or
think is wrong...
Jesus: You’ll
be surprised what you might end up doing for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Peter: But
when are we going to see this Kingdom of Heaven you’ve been talking about?
You’ve been speaking about it ever since I’ve known you... And where is its
capital city going to be? Where is it going to be founded?
Jesus: I
don’t know when Peter... But I do know where...
Peter: Where?
Here in Galilee?
Jesus: No.
Peter: Jerusalem?
Jesus: No.
Peter: Rome?
Jesus: No.
Nor will it be in Washington DC, Moscow, London, Paris or even Belfast...
Peter: Where?
Jesus: Never
mind... The point is that the Kingdom of Heaven is not a country as we know it
with borders, governments, elections, taxes and a national football team...
Peter: What?
Jesus: Again, never mind. The
Kingdom of God is a group of people who have decided to serve God as their Lord
and King...
Peter: So
the people do decide who is going to be King...
Jesus: No,
the people decide whether God will be their King... Whether they will be
part of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Peter: Oh...
But you still haven’t told me where it will be founded, where its capital city
will be...
Jesus: Here...
Peter: But
you already said that it wouldn’t be in Galilee...
Jesus: No,
not here in Galilee... But here, in the human heart. The Kingdom of Heaven is
within you...
Peter: Oh... Well, I suppose
I should have known that the Kingdom of Heaven wasn’t going to be a democracy,
because you’d be a dreadful politician.
Jesus: Why’s
that Peter?
Peter: You’re
too honest... You keep your promises...
Shalom
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