Ever wonder what is meant when we pray, “Thy Kingdom Come?” Is it for some time in the future when Christ shall return or is it now? The answer is – Yes.
God’s kingdom on earth flourishes when Truth, Goodness and Beauty flourish. Yet we live in an age when all three are under attack. In the words of Dr. Ken Boa,
“Every civilization — the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Phoenicians — all
had some moral consensus of sorts. Whether they followed it is another matter,
but now it’s up for grabs. Ours is the first generation that has lost the quest for the truth, goodness and beauty and has
relativized all three of those transcendentals.”
— Dr. Kenneth Boa
We live in a day when massive forces come at us from all sides with the dogma of relativity. Be it the entertainment industry, media, higher education or even commercials — an all out effort to whitewash Truth Goodness and Beauty and destroy even their pursuit is afoot and has gained hoards of followers. How? By convincing hundreds of millions of people, these transcendentals are relative. You have your truth and I have mine. What is good for you and what is good or me are different and beauty is merely in the eye of the beholder. An orangey grey blob on a white background is surely as beautiful as a Rembrandt. It is all relative. So what is the use of pursuit?
Yet, when we pray the Lord’s prayer, when we pray, Thy Kingdom come — we are in pursuit of Truth, Goodness and Beauty. God is the source of all Truth, Goodness and Beauty. We are asking for more of His nature on earth. More Truth. More Goodness. More Beauty.
But how on earth (literally) does it come? It comes through you! You have been given a measure of at least one of these and you are responsible for its dissemination.
Do you notice when someone is in need? Does it stick with you until you do something about it? You have likely been given goodness to spread to those you encounter.
Do you have a strong desire to rearrange the furniture or plant flowers or join in the singing of Messiah? You have been given beauty. It is yours to share. What about truth? Does it bother you when Hollywood puts out a movie with a distorted sense of values? Do you talk back to the nightly news and know when they are lying? Do you enjoy Bible study and like to teach? Yep, you have been given Truth. It is your responsibility to share it.
If you grew up in the church, you likely learned the song, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine….” What is the light? How do you let it shine? It shines when the measure of Truth, Goodness or Beauty you have been given is shared. For it is then, HIS Kingdom comes in part as we await it in full measure. Pray with me,
“THY Kingdom come! Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
And, then be about sharing the measure of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty with which you have been trusted. Then ask for more.