The stalls were a decrepit gray and the mirror was cracked and there was steam around the edges. The room was empty on first glance, then there was my friend Joe Bugg on his knees praying on white tile. There was no beautiful music playing to sing with or worship and he didn’t even sing himself but the way he looked I knew there was desperate and joyful music in his soul and he worshipped. I walked out the door and down streets that conversations in French passed by me like they always had. I entered another bathroom under the streets. It was dirtier than the first and wetter.
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Puddles were disregarded on the floor while they prayed, and they prayed on their knees. Their hands were in the air and this time they sang songs of hope and reliance. Pure tears fell so there were ripples in murky puddles. I left and walked down streets with French conversations. There was no hope in their words, but a wind split the clouds and for a moment they walked on lit streets.
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There’s a belief around certain circles that at some point in the future a kingdom that is not of this world – the kingdom of heaven – will come to Earth. Those believers don’t know what that will look like, except that it’s good and the kingdom is real and perfect love and worth it.
Kingdom come, will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. There’s a big difference in checking Christian in the ‘which religion?’ box and believing that an actual kingdom will come to Earth. It’s pretty wild if you think about it.
It’s not flying away one day and leaving this sinful world. It’s not perfecting those Ten Commandments and praying for those sinners who can’t. It’s not faith in a book with some really old, really dead words in it because long ago the Spirit was alive, but that was long ago. It’s not hiding away until Jesus comes back, asking everyone else if they’re ready for him.
It’s a love. Perfect love that is a light that lives inside of you and it’s Jesus in you and it’s loving because you were loved so perfectly that when you obey His only commandment a little bit of that Kingdom to come is released onto this Earth and into the one who you loved and darkness and giants flee and though it seems impossible now there’s a belief that’s faithful that one day the whole world will know perfect love and then, Kingdom come, will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. It’s worth it.
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That’s why a man in Florida that should be close to retiring instead works at the local 7-eleven so he can afford plane tickets back and forth to Haiti to be with orphaned kids a few times a year. It’s why a woman that will soon lead a group of 45 adults around the world works at Target. Or the guy that worked his ass off all week just to joyfully give away some of his money to a broke missionary. It’s why a girl with a resume worthy of a six figure job chooses instead to pay thousands of dollars to be discipled and trained to help child
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I had this crazy dream in the Dominican Republic the January before last. I thought it was silly and then I saw a joyful and incredible woman weep because she knew it was for her. And she talked about the difficulty that she knew would be the next season of her life. Her Ministry to a broken city without glamour or recognition. Like worship, alone in a dirty bathroom. She’s more
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like Jesus than I think anyone I’ve ever seen. She’s over thirty and single and works in a restaurant in San Francisco and loves on homeless people. It’s worth it.
Stay an extra few seconds and pay attention next time you’re at 7-11, or McDonalds or a local restaurant. Kingdom might be coming to earth in there. |
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