Not With Swords Loud Clashing
As a boy I loved it when the Action episodes from the Bible stories would be told in Church. The parables about sheep and things growing were fine, but I would sit up and listen when Jesus tore into the moneychangers at the Temple and threw over their tables, or when David walked out with his sling to take on the giant Goliath. Even in the midst of much confusion in the book of Revelations, I greatly enjoyed the image of the Messiah, on horseback, leading an army back from Heaven to decide this whole Good/Evil thing once and for all.
Given my militaristic tastes, there is a quiet - but important - reminder stuck away in the midst of one of the hymns I have known since I was a kid. It is a reminder to those of us who identify ourselves as Kingdom People - those who believe that God's Kingdom is not a future paradise in another world, but who believe that it is a current responsibility and a future reality.
The current responsibility is to live like those who are already, by choice (& - to be fair - also by several other things - like culture, birthplace, family, etc.) subjects of the King of Creation. Some of you may remember an earlier post in which I was promising (or threatening?) to finally print up T-Shirts with a message that would remind us how to live like Kingdom People (as reprinted below):
The Complete Set of Guidelines
for
Living as a Member of the Kingdom of God
1. Remember Jesus is Lord.
2. Don't be a jerk.
(BTW-Still waiting for the flood of orders before I sink all my Retirement Fund into the first printing of those shirts - be patient).
In the midst of one of the hymns filled with militaristic language (which fell into some disfavor in recent years) is a beautiful reminder of how we live out our current responsibilities as the people of the Kingdom while heading towards the day when - to use Lord's Prayer language - God's Kingdom shall become a reality "on earth, as it is in Heaven." After a first verse filled with 'days of march' and 'conquest' and the 'battle song', the hymn [Lead On, O King Eternal] moves on to this important reminder:
For not with swords loud clashing,
Nor roll of stirring drums,
With deeds of Love and Mercy
The heavenly kingdom comes.
[emphasis added]
It turns out, though, that in fact this is a story about covering ALL of the good ground possible - even at the cost of having some of the seed land in the dicey places on the edges. John Wesley used these words about living out Kingdom responsibilities:
“Do all the good you can.
By all the means you can.
In all the ways you can.
In all the places you can.
At all the times you can.
To all the people you can.
As long as ever you can.”
That can look like an EXHAUSTING job description, but it is worth remembering that even JW (who admittedly could be a little extreme in his expectations for himself and others) put this call in terms of what is possible - 'do all you CAN ... '.
It's unlikely that I will wield the Sword which will cut down Evil for all time and usher in the complete reign of God - but it is highly likely that today - and tomorrow (God-willing), I will have chances to do 'deeds of love and mercy'.
I hear that's how the Kingdom shows up.
