It is the vision that makes the journey epic. A visionless journey is really just aimless wandering (just ask the Israelites who strolled around the desert for forty years). So what is the vision fueling this epic journey?
It is the
Kingdom of God. Jesus talked a lot about the Kingdom. It is an upside down Kingdom, where the last are first, the least are the greatest, and the marginalized are treasured. God’s Kingdom is the antithesis of the kingdom around us. “The nature of the kingdom of God [has] and ethic and economy diametrically opposed to those of the world. Rather than accumulating stuff for oneself, followers of Jesus abandon everything, trusting in God alone for providence.” I think Shane Claiborne might be on the right track by trying to learn about the Kingdom from the poor and oppressed.
How does this vision apply to this journey? As imitators of Christ, we are called to bring the Kingdom to earth. Jesus began to introduce the Kingdom of God to this world, and it will not be fully completed until He returns. Meanwhile, we are to chase the Vision of Christ. “Jesus came not just to prepare us to die but to teach us how to live. Otherwise, much of Jesus’ wisdom would prove quite unnecessary for the afterlife… And the kingdom that Jesus speaks so much about is not just something we hope for after we die but is something we are to incarnate now” (Irresistible Revolution). We are to incarnate love for enemies, joy in suffering, justice, prayer, compassion, and servanthood. The Kingdom of God is one of health, wholeness, and freedom. That is why He has given us the ability and authority to heal the sick and free the captives. That is what bringing the Kingdom is all about.
What happens when we buy into this Vision? The tide begins to turn, and we get one step closer to the world we dream of. As Claiborne writes, “What the world needs is people who believe so much in another world that they cannot help but begin enacting it now.” Amen (May it be so).
