Kingdom of What?

I am curious ~ what visions for the world get you absolutely stoked? In this political election year, are there any issues that you just dream our next President will embrace and bring about? What kind of emotions do these potential realities stir in you? Do you believe that this kind of change is even possible in your lifetime?

At the beginning of one of the books of the Bible are the following words: “The time has come,” He said. “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!” Mark 1:15 NIV

Now, the Gospel of Mark reads quickly and is full of action-based accounts, but even this passage moves a little too quickly for me. We are at the very beginning of Mark, and these are Jesus’ first recorded words. Granted, they are probably only the thesis statement of a much longer speech, however Mark writes it under the assumption perhaps that everyone understands what “the kingdom of God” means. The focus is NOT on the meaning of the phrase, but rather on the timing of it. NOW is the time! TODAY you must repent and believe!

I wonder if people today have a grasp of that phrase “the kingdom of God.” I think the common vision, common hope, common fear, common wonder and understanding of that kingdom has been lost to us modern American Christians. I think the beauty of it, the longing for it, and the anticipated relief of its coming is not a part of the daily life of today’s faithful, let alone today’s unfaithful. Without it, however, does the fact that Jesus proclaims its immanence (its closeness at hand) really matter!?