The Kin-dom of God

Refract on Sunday's Reflection

You can watch the reflection here.

John 12:1-8 (NRSV)

Contemporary biblical scholars believe the words “king” and “kingdom” come with imperial baggage that detracts from who Jesus is and the new order of things God is ushering in. The words “kin” and “kin-dom” or “kin(g)dom” are suggested as better-aligned (albeit more clumsy and inelegant) substitutes. Jesus is our kin: the Book of Hebrews says he is not ashamed to call us his brothers and sisters. Jesus is ushering in a kin-dom, which belongs to the poor in Spirit, the persecuted, and the little children.

• To whom would the imperial, hierarchical images of king and kingdom be more appealing than the flat structure of kin and kin-dom? Why?
• Why do people (e.g., Israel in Samuel’s day and some voters in the U.S.) clamour for a king instead of enjoying the freedom and agency that come without a king?
• How does a kin-dom perspective shift our focus as a faith community in our worship, congregational care, justice and service, community engagement, and strategic leadership?

Mary Hinkle Shore says the Passion of Jesus does not defer the dream of the kingdom of God but rather brings it closer––so close that one of the thieves on the cross asks Jesus to remember him “when you come into your kingdom.” (To which Jesus replies, “Today, you will be with me in paradise.”) The indignity and agony of the cross do not separate Jesus from his mission to seek and to save the lost. He even prays for the forgiveness of those killing him. 

• How could this perspective reframe our suffering? Is suffering always a setback? Have you experienced suffering that brought the kin-dom closer in your life? What role does forgiving others play in bringing the kin-dom nearer to us and those around us?
• Put yourself in the place of the thief for a moment. How have the bad consequences of your bad decisions prepared you to see Jesus and the kin-dom more clearly?
• Jesus says the kin-dom belongs to the poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), the persecuted (Matthew 5:10), and those who put a childlike trust in our heavenly father/mother (Luke 18:16). Why?

John Lewis, a Georgia preacher and politician, said we must engage in "good trouble, necessary trouble" to achieve change.

• What good trouble did Jesus make?
• The apostles were accused of “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:5-7). What kind of trouble were they making?
• What opportunities does our faith community have to make good trouble? How/why are they the same as or different than Jesus and the apostles?