Article March 18, 1972 Issue

Heaven at Hand

SARAH K. PLUMB

The kingdom of heaven sometimes seems very far removed from our present earthly experience. However, Jesus began his ministry by declaring, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand."^{ Matt. 4:17;}

How could Christ Jesus make this declaration when conditions in his day seemed just about as inharmonious as they do now? The world in which Jesus lived was ruled by a foreign military empire. Injustice, poverty, and disease were rampant. But Jesus could speak with authority about the kingdom of heaven because he saw man and the universe the way God made them, perfect and harmonious. With his example before us, we can change our thinking and see and experience something of the kingdom of heaven, or reign of harmony, here and now. How? The following analogy may be helpful.

Camera film is first developed into a negative. A negative is an exact duplicate of the original object photographed, but everything appears in reverse. The solid objects reflecting light in the original appear black and empty in the negative, while the dark areas of shadows appear light, suggesting substance. By shining a light through the negative onto a piece of light-sensitive paper, then dipping the paper into a chemical solution, one can make the positive image appear exactly like the original object photographed.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

See the Answers Unfold