Thy Kingdom Come--Prayer and suffering
These three words: "Thy Kingdom come", are to me the essence of prayer. The kingdom of God envelopes every part and parcel of our lives. The kingdom of God includes forgiveness, repentance, gratefulness, intercession, love, peace, joy and every good thing we receive from God. All that is good about life itself, is to be found in greater and even more abundant provision in the kingdom of God.
In John 10:10 Jesus said "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Yet in Luke 9:23 he also said "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." God's ultimate plan is to destroy our pain and suffering. Yet for life to be authentic, suffering is a part of it, for now. In the incarnation, we see God coming to earth to suffer, first as a poor pilgrim sharing humanity with us, and finally sharing the experience of a humiliating painful death.
God wants us to be happy. He wants us to have lives full of joy, peace and beauty. He is not an angry God relishing in our suffering. His kingdom is to alleviate all suffering. The only way to understand and fully experience true life and the end of suffering is through union with God. My own definition of the kingdom of God is this: through our union with God, we bring peace, love, beauty and joy to a suffering world.
So when we pray "Thy kingdom come", are we praying for peace or for conflict? I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that it is both. Ultimately, it is for peace for the world. But that peace does not come without a price. The price is for us to follow the model of Christ, and to live our own incarnation. We voluntarily empty ourselves (kenosis, Philippians 2) to help alleviate the suffering of others. Rather than spend our lives building our own little fifedoms of wealth, pleasure, control, and separation from the hurting, we give of ourselves.
Christ is our example in giving of himself to bring his kingdom to others. Mary, a layperson and contemplative, also showed this emptying by accepting the cross she was to bear, the death of her son. May our prayer be for ultimate peace, love, joy and beauty, as we with Mary cry be it unto me according to your word. Thy kingdom come.
In John 10:10 Jesus said "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." Yet in Luke 9:23 he also said "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." God's ultimate plan is to destroy our pain and suffering. Yet for life to be authentic, suffering is a part of it, for now. In the incarnation, we see God coming to earth to suffer, first as a poor pilgrim sharing humanity with us, and finally sharing the experience of a humiliating painful death.
God wants us to be happy. He wants us to have lives full of joy, peace and beauty. He is not an angry God relishing in our suffering. His kingdom is to alleviate all suffering. The only way to understand and fully experience true life and the end of suffering is through union with God. My own definition of the kingdom of God is this: through our union with God, we bring peace, love, beauty and joy to a suffering world.
So when we pray "Thy kingdom come", are we praying for peace or for conflict? I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that it is both. Ultimately, it is for peace for the world. But that peace does not come without a price. The price is for us to follow the model of Christ, and to live our own incarnation. We voluntarily empty ourselves (kenosis, Philippians 2) to help alleviate the suffering of others. Rather than spend our lives building our own little fifedoms of wealth, pleasure, control, and separation from the hurting, we give of ourselves.
Christ is our example in giving of himself to bring his kingdom to others. Mary, a layperson and contemplative, also showed this emptying by accepting the cross she was to bear, the death of her son. May our prayer be for ultimate peace, love, joy and beauty, as we with Mary cry be it unto me according to your word. Thy kingdom come.
posted by Jeff at
5:16 PM
