“Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.” Luke 17:25
For all the efforts to hunt it down all the travels, the books read, the services gone to, the acts done and foregone, “the kingdom of God is within you.” Who woulda thought! In this I am reminded, yet again, of this from Barbara Brown Taylor:
“No one longs for what he or she already has, and yet the accumulated insight of those wise about the spiritual life suggests that the reason so many of us cannot see the red X that marks the spot is because we are standing on it. The treasure we seek requires no lengthy expedition, no expensive equipment, no superior aptitude or special company. All we lack is the willingness to imagine that we already have everything we need. The only thing missing is our consent to be who we are.”
One more time, for the slow learner in me – “The treasure [I] seek requires no lengthy expedition, no expensive equipment, no superior aptitude or special company. All [I] lack is the willingness to imagine that [I] already have everything [I] need. The only thing missing is [my consent to be who [I am]” because “the kingdom of God is within [me]”
In more modern day terms, Jesus is shaking his head as he points out that the cell phone I am looking for is in my hand. Duh!
It occurs to me... 