The Kingdom of God

Worship at Mount Calvary

Supper on Tuesday

Most of the time when we are dealing with everyday issues we are not encountering life and death situations.  Hope helps to bring life at many times in our lives.  This is what what we have been about with Spirit Journey Youth these past few days.

I don't know if you can imagine what it would be like to have someone come in and take your land and then move you to a more convenient place for them.  Or if you can imagine someone telling you that your culture and traditions are backward, your religion irrelevant, and your language needs to change.  Then take that out into years and centuries and try to imagine the loss of identity, self-respect, and dignity.  When you combine this with being in one of the most severe poverty situations in the nation loss of hope is huge.

We as Christians are supposed to be about reconciliation, peace, hope, and love.  We have been the worst offenders when it comes to how First People have been treated.  So shouldn't we be about planting hope, restoring image, and honoring traditions?  Showing the youth that there are people who think they matter, that God loves them in the image they are made in, and supporting new life are key to helping plant hope.

We have laughed a lot, we have been serious and studied much, and we have broken bread and shared Christ in each others lives.  Being a part of this these past few days has reminded me of how important it is to put on a different lens and see through different eyes where is God in the midst of this?  It has also reminded me how much work we have to do in building bridges and reconciling nations. The kingdom of God on earth is up to us, how will you choose to be a part of that?