A Glimpse of the Kingdom

I hope you enjoy reading these amazing thoughts, written by Scott B at Theopraxis (bold type and paragraphing were added by me to emphasize his points) :

I'm suggesting that we recover a true, robust, and deeply Christian eschatology, one that has its roots in the Old Testament promises of a New Creation and looks forward to mercy, justice, and shalom reigning forever.

I want to hear about death passing away, about all things being made new, about oppressive empires being toppled and the poor and oppressed being lifted up.

I want to hear about the restoration of the Image of God in humanity and about our final return to our true purpose.

I want to hear about the restoration of right relationships between us and God, each other, and Creation itself.

I want to hear, not about our escaping to some home far away in the clouds, but rather about home coming to us, right here, in the middle of the mess that we've made, when God takes what is broken and restores it to what it was intended to be all along.

Christian eschatology is not about escape - it is about the Kingdom's fullness finally breaking into the present, resulting in the restoration of all things as they were always intended to be.

And that's a narrative that makes the other version seem all pale and hollow, a pretender masquerading as something grand and glorious.

The redemptive and restorative aspects of the gospel stir my passion. I know the God who reaches into brokenness, and the idea of sharing His fullness with others is what excites me. I agree that the gospel and the kingdom are much more amazing than what we've expressed so far.