God's Kingdom : My Understanding Of The Kingdom Of God

The Catholic Mission is to bring about the fullness of life for all people in all places and times as Jesus desired. For decades, Meals on Wheels has helped feed those who cannot cook for themselves, but what no one had thought of was creating a mobile laundry to wash the clothes of the homeless. This is what Nick Marchesi and Lucas Patchett did when they founded Orange Sky Laundry in 2014. In the Bible Jesus is recorded many times providing help to the disadvantaged and less fortunate and his call to help others remains as part of living a faithful life today. This essay will explore what Orange Sky Laundry do, how their work relates to scriptural passages in the Bible, the mission of Jesus and Catholic Social Justice Teachings.

Within Christian communities, enthusiasm to respond to injustice around the world with compassion continues to increase. Regrettably, well-meaning people who have good intentions but neglect to consider best practice principles are ultimately doing a disservice to the individuals and communities they intended to help. Moreover, a lack of understanding of holistic social action results in dependency and disregards the dignity of the poor. In From the Roots Up, Dr. JoAnn Butrin challenges Christians, both individually and as the larger body of Christ- the church, to respond to injustice thoughtfully and holistically. Butrin (2010) asserts:

Society has thrived against adversity with virtues of hope, fueled by the belief of a higher power. In The Book of Martha, by Octavia Butler, the protagonist, Martha, seeks a solution to end humanity’s greed, which will eventually lead to their inevitable demise. For centuries, religion has had an impact in the way societies view ethical and moral issues. Human kindness has always been at the core of each act behind religious beliefs. These acts of kindness have been made with the intention to progress ourselves as a society and as a community. An interview with Father Jesus de la Tapia, from The Parish of Santa Rosa, highlighted the social impact that these acts of kindness can bring to our community. Although Martha’s actions are those set in a fictional story, her belief in God and ability to bring humanity together, are actions which can be seen in our community, making it a better place.

Consequently it is fair to say that to the Jewish people of Jesus’ time the term ‘Kingdom of God’ was interpreted as a time when God’s rule would be restored through a descendant of David and things would be good again. Macquarrie sums their view precisely when he states, “The coming of the Kingdom would mean the judgement of the existing order, the overthrow of all evil and demonic powers and a new order in which God’s perfect reign would be manifested.”

In the beginning, God provided Adam and Eve with a garden to live in with no house to go home to as the sun set each day. Americans today have the opportunity to live in a home where their lives carry on day after day. Adam and Eve were in a sense homeless, yet God did not love them any less. The homeless in America today are seen as less than everyone else in society, yet God does not love them any less than those of us who live in a home. As Christians, we are told to share with the homeless. Luke states in Luke 3:10-11, “And the crowds asked him, ‘What then shall we do?’ And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’.” The Bible tells us to share with the poor, despite

“A kingdom is a human political reality”, which is both earthly and physical. (pg 176) People see it as a negative impersonal political institution but rather it should positively flipped into community based. This includes individuals under one common influence. The power that kingdom has over politics transformed the power God has on earth through the churches until the day when He finally makes all things new (Rev 21:5). Together, the term kingdom politics is metaphor to what we should be basing our lives onto, the kingdom above under the political allegiance of God. As Christians, we must build this kingdom before God within the community of those living for the

“I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people.”

Shed, is the god called “Saviour” which is date back from the 18th Dynasty. Throughout Egypt’s history, people have been worshipping characteristic of divine powers. Those characteristics are identified by their personal names. The increase of loneliness and isolation in Egypt’s society began in the New Kingdom, which resulted in texts being written that emphasized the saving aspects of divine powers. Although most great gods have the epithet ‘Saviour’, this aspect was personalized in the god Shed. Shed is usually depicted as a child, often nude with just loincloth covering his genitals. Shed is idealized very youthful like how a young man should look. He also holds wild animals in his hands, which displays his

God has endless compassion for each of us. Often we allow this compassion to pass by unnoticed, holding back from completely trusting and opening our hearts to God’s love. In so doing, we become like a dry desert awaiting the rain. Though this desert might seem tough and lifeless on the surface, the rain eventually provides nourishment which transforms the desert into a habitat of flowers, beauty, and life. We are like the dry desert awaiting the rains of compassion from our Lord. I say, wait no longer. God constantly floods us with compassion; we must open the gates of our hearts and allow this compassion to flow in. This essay synthesizes ideas and text from Father Gregory Boyle, Dr. Sanchez’s lectures, and my own life, providing a comprehensive

I saw kids of all ages living with a burden pinned to their backs. However, they did not show it. They were just like me, a normal kid. Yet everyday they had to live in a sort of jail. Following a strict schedule when to eat, play, sleep, and go to school. They couldn’t hop in the car with their mom and go to the mall. The things I take for granted were what they were praying for. While here my fellow life teen members and I came together as a sort of beacon of light to play with and be a friend to these kids. We all came together to achieve a common goal and help those in need. This experience really hit home with me as I underappreciate all the little things in life that I should be grateful for. Trying to live a selfless life can be hard, but I will continue to help my community and those in need throughout my

Jesus doesn’t come so we can go to some other place when we die, Jesus comes so that we can live a kingdom life now and share an eternal relationship with God. The kingdom of God has already been launched, was always here, and is coming soon in all its fullness. Dallas Willard identifies the Kingdom of God as the range of God’s “effective will,” where what God “wants done is done,” and that the person of God and God’s will are the organizing principles of this kingdom. Hence, he states, “everything that obeys those principles, whether by nature or choice,” is within God’s kingdom. Willard goes on to use the analogy of electricity to describe the kingdom. The kingdom of God has existed with humanity since the beginning, just as electricity has. When humanity figured out how to harness electricity, it changed everything. Electricity became not just a flash in the sky, but something we can plug into. The entire universe is hard-wired with God’s kingdom. In Christ, the kingdom that has always been is accessible in a new way. Through faith in Jesus we can now plug in and translate our ordinary life, into an eternal

Today, I have beholden to a mercy that Jesus has for us. When I drove back to my home from my church yesterday, I saw homeless people in the entrance of highway. At the moment, I just passed out naturally without any filling, but an invitation was intentionally arising in my mind. The invitation was that there is not compassion to other people in my mind, and, in other word, my mind is too hardened to have mercy or love to others. A word of Jesus was coming up that ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ (Matthew 25:45)

However, in order to live a Christian life, people must look up to Jesus as a “perfect” example of living life. Jesus had been oppressed when explaining the spiritual kingdom of God instead of human interpretations with the physical kingdom of God. The physical kingdom of God is based on human beliefs; the spiritual kingdom of God is based on God himself because the Holy Spirit is a part of his character. The problem with the world is that they interpret God as an evil,

God’s goodness and mercy far transcends the comprehension of the most brilliant human mind! He “who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth”(Psalm 113:6).Yet in His infinite love for us He stoops down to reveal Himself to us by a multitude of illustration, types, and shadows, so that we may learn to know him. This paper will describe what is meant by the Kingdom of God; examine the religious philosophy of the various sects of Judaism during the Second Temple period: Pharisee, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, describe the religious philosophy and political philosophy of each sects, it will also describe how the Messianic expectation differ from the Messianic role that Jesus presented, and include an exegesis of

     Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Many people today seem to look over the poor and needy. The people who are the poorest may be the happiest. We have to be able to look at these people and see how wonderful they really are. They may not ask for anything but when someone offers to give them something they truly do cherish it. Even if it is just a slice of bread or a pair of old shoes, or even a blanket. Today we can give to charities to help these people because somewhere someone is getting that blanket you did not want and it is the thing that is keeping him warm all winter.