The last couple of posts on this thread are encouraging; they bring a smile to my face.
Others ... make me a little angry, since I see how much work is left to be done. Mostly though, they just make me feel sad.
Not that I disagree with what you're saying, Q. Your point is well taken, and I think most would agree with the gist (as the same discussion is taking place on the thread on Democratic religion and spiritual democracy).
Let's see, the Hebrew prophets are a smaller subset of
visionaries ... at least in my book (this book being a smaller subset of God's). But they definitely were aware of some of the struggles, even the tremendous challenges that Humanity was - and is - destined to face in our future.
Shangri-La, if you don't mean this in the strict Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Shambhala, is sort of a colloquialism for this same sort of Utopia ... but as we know, More's Utopia and Bacon's Atlantis were presented somewhat differently. More wrote in 1516, Bacon 107 years later. In the esoteric tradition that I study, both men have gone on to become Masters of the Wisdom ... and that may be neither here nor there for most Christians, yet
in my book this is a fairly important point to consider. What it means is that both men were able to share a unique spiritual vision with us, much as St. John the Beloved was able to do so in giving us the Book of Revelation.
The visions that were shared were 15 or 16 centuries
newer than that of St. John. The social and political climate of 16th and 17th century Europe was
very different than that of Palestine 15 centuries earlier. And, it should be born in mind, neither St. John -
nor Bacon, nor More - were simply describing the
likely course of events, or
things to come in future centuries. They were also showing us, allegorically or metaphorically - even in
deeply veiled symbolical form - certain relationships between God and man.
I realize that some individuals
believe God and man are separate ... or have been
separated. Consider, this gives them a totally different starting point in looking at this question about the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth.
Since I do not accept that man was
kicked out of the Garden of Eden -
unless you take this in its symbolical, allegorical, mythical sense - I will also not accept that man and God are fundamentally, irreconcilably separate. And plenty of Christians will agree on each of these points.
I simply cannot avoid believing that the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth
will come about, and that eventually (though no time soon) it
will involve what we understand now as Perfection -
just as Christ was Perfect ... even as the FATHER is Perfect! For this, and no less, is in Christian Scriptures (New Testament) - and the Teaching is clear.
Yes, there are forces which oppose the establishment of this Kingdom, precisely because it threatens their own choice and ability to live
unto themselves. But consider, the very PREMISE, the very
sticking point which such groups and individuals make, is that
they have the right and the prerogative to REMAIN separate.
How
dare you ask me to cooperate, to get along, to make minor (let alone Great) sacrifices ... and to become something
better, or
more, than I currently am!
This - is their defiant attitude. And I think anything more sinister is better left to the imagination, as the problem is a very real one, and is surely one that the Christ (and His Church) are already dealing with in Their own way. (And thank God for that!)
What can
we do?
Let's see, we can
be a part of the Forces of Light, those who work for GOOD.
Or we can consciously choose
evil, meaning greed, selfishness and separatism.
It may not always be entirely easy to live up to our own
model for Good, or our Ideals ... yet
making the choice seems to me to be pretty simple and straightforward. It is a daily choice (
"I die daily"), and it requires renewing our commitment and promises to God, instead of resting on our laurels. It means being open to
whatever God has in store for us (individually, one by one, as well as together, as a people, as a planet) around the next bend.
Let's remember -
or consider - if there were prophets 2500 years ago and before, why wouldn't there be such individuals amongst us now? Why in the world should we think that God is without
plenty of able-bodied as well as intellectually gifted men and women, here in the world with us today, who are
more than capable of helping us to share the Vision (
God's Vision) of what it is that God wishes for us - TODAY, and in the days to come?
Perhaps there are such Visionaries, perhaps there are already great Teachers among us ... and
maybe, just maybe, the Kingdom is - once again/already/still - even closer, or just as close, as it was 2000 years ago. How can that which
has always been here - arrive? Isn't it more likely that WE simply do not behold it, as Christ indicated?
And, if we can see such apparent differences (as some claim) between how it is that we think God
wishes for us to live ... and how we are presently living ... then shouldn't we be asking ourselves, "What can
I do (different, better) to help prepare the Way? To help establish the Kingdom?"
Personally, I'm not asking maybe, I'm not wondering
perhaps ... I'm not asking whether, and I'm not even concerned with
when. I know that it is
now, whether I can "see" it or not, and I know we are
all, already `there' - even if
there isn't a where at all. You don't have to die to get to Heaven, you don't have to look anywhere
`out there' ... but what was that part about recognizing the Christ in one's fellow man?
In the Kingdom of Heaven, do you really think you
won't be able to see a bit of the Divine in everyone, in every being, you meet?
Still waiting for God to
sort 'em out? If so, I think you're gonna wait a long, long time ...
