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At the outset, I should make it clear—and I make no apology for this—that I will, throughout this post, be using the ‘God’ word a far bit.
Of course, the word ‘God’, if one uses it at all, means different things to different people. For some, there is no objective referent at all to the word ‘God’, and I respect that position as well. As Krishnamurti (pictured left) used to say, ‘The word is not the thing.’ It’s the reality behind the word that matters. In other words, don’t get hung oup on the word (‘God’)—instead, focus on the reality behind, and beyond, the word.
For me, the word ‘God’ refers to the ever-present spirit of life—that is, the very livingness of all life, the essential oneness of all life, and the self-givingness of life to itself so as to perpetuate itself. I also use the word ‘God’ to refer to our innate potential perfectibility, as well as to what I regard as being the sacred, the holy. As regards the latter, I find that sense of the sacred or holy essentially in the enchantment of everyday life—in the ordinary as opposed to the extraordinary, and in the natural world as opposed to some supposed supernatural world.
Being something of a panentheist (that is, one who affirms that this God to which I refer is the ground of all being, is in all things, and all things are in God—but all things are not God), I reject all traditional notions of theism as well as the notion that there is a supernatural order, level or dimension to life. I find the sacred or the holy in, as already mentioned, the enchantment of everyday life, as well as in all of life, and especially in those more enlightened human beings who have blessed us with their presence, teachings and example.
Jesus preached the ‘Kingdom of God‘ (referred to in Matthew’s gospel as the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’). The Kingdom of God is a past, present and future reality, all at the same time, and whereas the Jews of Jesus’ day were expecting the coming of the Kingdom, it was an earthly kingdom they were expecting. Jesus, however, speaks of an altogether different type of kingdom—namely, a spiritual or heavenly one.
The Kingdom of God is a past reality because it has been in ‘preparation’—and been prepared for us—from the very foundation of the world (‘the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ (Mt 25:34)).
The Kingdom of God is also a present reality. Jesus said many things about the Kingdom of God but perhaps his greatest pronouncement on the Kingdom was this— ‘the kingdom of God is within you’ (Lk 17:21). This is the true ‘good news’ of the Christian gospel. As a present reality, Jesus revealed that the Kingdom of God was already present in his own life. Jesus formed a community that strove, in steadfast service, to be a living model of God’s reign. It was Jesus who said, ‘I have come that [you] may have life, and that [you] may have it more abundantly’ (Jn 10:10). Abundant life—that’s what he’s on about. Life with a capital ‘l.’
The Kingdom of God is also a future reality. Yes, the Kingdom of God has always been, and is now, but is also not as yet. Such is life.
Life is past, present and future—but mostly ‘present,’ in the sense that it is always … now! For me, the Kingdom of God is the Eternal Now. There is an ‘eternal’ quality about the Now. It is forever new. The present moment has its unfolding in the Now. The past—in the form of memories, inherited characteristics and tendencies, as well as the karmic consequences of past actions—all that is no more than the expression of a ‘present’ reality, being a present ‘window link’ to the eternity of the Now. It’s the same as respects the future—any ideas about or hopes for the future are present ideas and hopes. You see, the present is simply that which presents itself before us in the Now—so the present embraces past, present and future.
The Kingdom of God is the very livingness of life itself, as it endlessly and ceaselessly unfolds from one moment to the next. You live and move and have your very be-ing-ness in this kingdom. It is the very presence—-indeed, omnipresence—of your life. If you want happiness, and peace of mind, and power to change the things in your life that you know need to be changed—and who doesn’t—-the only ‘place’ (for want of a better word) where you can find those things is ‘in’ (that is, within) this kingdom. Only a fool would seek to look for them elsewhere—-but there are many such fools. Sadly, the churches are full of them. I say that not at all self-righteously, but I do say it with a certain anger, for I am sick and tired of conventional so-called ‘Bible-believing Christians’ distorting the simple message of Jesus and making silly and implausible claims for Jesus that he did not make for himself (for example, that he was God is a unique and exclusive sense) as well as for the Bible that the Bible does not make fot itself (for example, that the Bible is infallible and inerrant). I tell you this—there will be no peace in the world until that sort of thinking is thoroughly purged. For my part, for so long as there is breath in me, I will continue to rail against such thinking and those who ‘think’ (ha!) such things.
Never forget this. The Kingdom of God, which always has been, is here now—but the kingdom is also not as yet. Stay awake. Be ever mindful—as the kingdom continues to becomes an ongoing future reality as well … from one moment to the next. Angels—assuming for the moment there are any—could do not better.
This is a question I have often asked. My understanding is still incomplete. Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God (new testament). John taught the law and prophets (old testament). The kingdom of Heaven/God is when the person is full of righteousness, peace and joy as we will be after the return of Christ. A few will possess the kingdom before then. However, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Keep seeking the truth.
Dr Ian Ellis-Jones ... Mindfulness Training
Knowing the truth is much more important than seeking it. In fact, despite what the Bible says, it is totally unnecessary to seek the truth—as if the truth were something lost or misplaced. Truth, or reality, is simply what is. Each of us is in immediate and direct contact with what is. There is no need for any savior, mediator or the like to bridge the supposed gap or gulf. You obviously hold certain beliefs. Know this—beliefs are an impenetrable barrier to knowing the truth. Beliefs separate you from what would otherwise be an uninterrupted experience of things-as-they-really-are. There is no need for beliefs of any kind. They are a hindrance and a menace. You refer to the ‘return of Christ’ and being ‘born anew (or again)’. These experiences are not to be construed exoterically and literally, rather esoterically and allegorically or spiritually. I fear that you have literalized and carnalized the truth of these important psycho-spiritual principles in the misbelief that God has spoken His final word in Jesus, and that Jesus is the only way to God, etc. I eschew all such beliefs. Finally, despite what you have said about the Kingdom of God meaning that a person is full of righteousness, peace and joy, the conventional Christian understanding of the expression is that it is a reference to the sovereign will and rule of God with a concomitant inclusionary reference to the community of believers over whom God rules. And the Bible would have you believe that none are righteous except Christ, who gives those who believe in him a robe of righteousness, even though they are unrighteous. Righteousness is supposedly ‘imputed’ to those who believe. God supposedly sees the believer clothed in the robe of righteousness, and sees Jesus standing in their place. Now, even though I reject all of that, I do know the standard, evangelical interpretation of what is referred to above. I prefer the good advice of the Buddha: ‘Be a lamp unto yourselves.’ You must be your own teacher, pupil and savior. But, whatever you do, forget about beliefs.
This is a question I have often asked. My understanding is still incomplete. Jesus taught the gospel of the kingdom of God (new testament). John taught the law and prophets (old testament). The kingdom of Heaven/God is when the person is full of righteousness, peace and joy as we will be after the return of Christ. A few will possess the kingdom before then. However, except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Keep seeking the truth.
Knowing the truth is much more important than seeking it. In fact, despite what the Bible says, it is totally unnecessary to seek the truth—as if the truth were something lost or misplaced. Truth, or reality, is simply what is. Each of us is in immediate and direct contact with what is. There is no need for any savior, mediator or the like to bridge the supposed gap or gulf. You obviously hold certain beliefs. Know this—beliefs are an impenetrable barrier to knowing the truth. Beliefs separate you from what would otherwise be an uninterrupted experience of things-as-they-really-are. There is no need for beliefs of any kind. They are a hindrance and a menace. You refer to the ‘return of Christ’ and being ‘born anew (or again)’. These experiences are not to be construed exoterically and literally, rather esoterically and allegorically or spiritually. I fear that you have literalized and carnalized the truth of these important psycho-spiritual principles in the misbelief that God has spoken His final word in Jesus, and that Jesus is the only way to God, etc. I eschew all such beliefs. Finally, despite what you have said about the Kingdom of God meaning that a person is full of righteousness, peace and joy, the conventional Christian understanding of the expression is that it is a reference to the sovereign will and rule of God with a concomitant inclusionary reference to the community of believers over whom God rules. And the Bible would have you believe that none are righteous except Christ, who gives those who believe in him a robe of righteousness, even though they are unrighteous. Righteousness is supposedly ‘imputed’ to those who believe. God supposedly sees the believer clothed in the robe of righteousness, and sees Jesus standing in their place. Now, even though I reject all of that, I do know the standard, evangelical interpretation of what is referred to above. I prefer the good advice of the Buddha: ‘Be a lamp unto yourselves.’ You must be your own teacher, pupil and savior. But, whatever you do, forget about beliefs.