Where is the kingdom of God? Where is God’s reign? Where is heaven? When will God’s kingdom start? What will be the signs?
Most people respond to those questions with answers that refer to something outside of themselves, something spectacular, a long time in the future, or a place far away. Jesus has a different answer. Jesus talks about the kingdom of God being present here and now inside each of us every day. The kingdom of God is the love that God planted in our hearts when he created us: love of God and love of all others in our life. God’s kingdom is already present in us. But we tend to cover it up with our stinginess, selfishness, violence, hatred, and self-centeredness – that is our sin.
St. Francis of Assisi discovered the kingdom of God in the service to others, especially the most despised people of his times, the lepers and poor. When he started serving others, he felt that he became part of God’s life. As we abandon ourselves to serve others, we get closer to God and his kingdom.
That is why God gave us a family, neighbors, classmates, and all the other people in our lives. Those people in our family, neighborhood, and school are not perfect – some of them are not nice to us, some are scary, some are bullies, some are mean. As we dedicate ourselves to serve them, we become part of the kingdom of God and build up the kingdom of God. That is our mission as Christians: share the love of God with others.
The kingdom of God is not something you can see…
God’s kingdom is here with you
Image: https://worldwidechristianministries.org/the-kingdom-of-god-is-within-you/