The Peaceable Kingdom will not arrive by magic.


The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. (Isaiah 11:6)

 Isaiah's Peaceable Kingdom will not come about by magic.  We are called to create it.

 ------------------------------------------------------------

It was probably eight years ago that I was on a Frontier Airlines flight from Tampa to Denver.

My seat mate was a young (23 years old) man, a member of the LDS Church, who was on his way home to Utah -  to his wife, his child, and his dog.

I asked him about his faith, and especially about his work as a young LDS Elder and the two year? missionary service which young Mormons undertake.

I asked him about his wife, his child, and his dog.

In turn he asked my about my faith and life as an Episcopalian Minister, and about the Episcopal Church.

As we drew near to Denver he thanked me.  He said "you are the first Christian minister I have ever met who hasn't told me all that's wrong about the LDS Church".

DUH  But of course!  His LDS roots were deep and important to him. Who was I to try to "convert" him?  That would have been foolish and unkind, even arrogant: (two hours on a plane versus his lifetime of LDS faith!)

The Peaceable Kingdom is ours to create.  I did my little bit on that flight.

---------------------------------------------------




I thought about that young man when I encountered two very young  (20ish) Jehovah's Witnesses as they sat on a bench in Arlington Park, their easel of literature nearby.

It's a common enough sight.  Gentle Jehovah's Witness folks sit in public places - ready to talk about their faith - but only speaking when they are spoken to. They eschew evangelistic aggression.

I spoke to them with words like these.  "I am a retired  Christian Pastor and I know that I will never become a Jehovah's Witness. But I admired your willingness to give witness to your faith in this gentle manner".

I added "I utterly hate the fact that J.W's are being tortured and imprisoned in Russia. I will pray for them"

It was another gracious encounter with folks whose theology I eschew, but whose lives are precious to God. 

The Peaceable Kingdom is ours to create.  I did my little bit in Arlington Park today.


Isaiah's Peaceable Kingdom will not come about by magic.  We are called to create it.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shoe insults

Last year I consulted with a local podiatrist: Dr. Robert F Herbold Jr. D.P.M. 4717 Swift Rd., Sarasota , FL – 34231  because I was being bothered with a couple of bunions  (yes I am at that age). I was very impressed with this Doctor.  He agreed that I had bunions, but he ventured that it was much too soon for surgery. (Now there’s a first). Instead he recommended some “arch supports” to relieve the tension for my feet, a tension which was exacerbating the bunions. What’s more -  he told me that he sells these arch supports at the miserly sum of $2.50 each (about 1/5 of the price in the local pharmacies). He is an honest man, and I recommend him to anyone with foot problems. So, a couple of weeks ago, having purchased some new walking shoes, I knew that I needed to buy a couple of new arch supports I took myself to his office. Once there, my mind went blank. I wanted to ask his front desk Clerk if I could buy some “shoe inserts” , as I could not remember the words “ar
Read more

The background, the couple, my friends, the wedding ceremony, the Shaykh, the Priest,

Image
The background   I have known the Keller/Bonsey family since 2000 when I became the Rector at St. James's, Cambridge, MA. They (Elisabeth Keller and the Revd. Steven Bonsey with their four children Noah, Sam, Josiah and Annie) had come back to Cambridge from Hawaii where Steve had been the Rector of an Episcopal parish. Steve had just been appointed as a Chaplain at Tufts University (no Sunday morning duties) so the entire family was able to enrich our common life at St. James's - which they did with great love and joy. I count them as friends and have stayed in touch with them since my retirement.  Noah, the oldest son is eloquent in Arabic (he spent a year in Damascus when Syria was a safe place).  He has developed a super career as an analyst of social media in the near East.    Noah worked in Tampa for a while a few years ago, so he and I were able to get together a few
Read more

It began in Bristol U.K. "A man dies" and "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Image
I well remember the swirling controversy in Bristol, U.K. when a (Presbyterian) Minister the Revd, Earnest Marviin created a ":Rock Opera", called "A Man Dies"  in and for his congregation in the Lockleaze area of Bristol, U.K. Earnest Mrvin I was a sixteen years old member of the Plymouth Brethren Church back in those days, so I most likely disapproved of "A Man Dies" .  We, (the Plymouth Brethren),  disapproved of everything! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I had forgotten all about "A Man Dies" until earlier today when saw these pictures on the "Bristol, Then and Now"  Facebook page.   St. James Presbyterian Church, Lockleaze, Bristol  The Bristol Then and Now page includes the following commentary: Lockleaze, Bristol  -  'Jesus Christ Superstar' began at St.James (Presbyterian) Chur
Read more