UPFRONT July 2, 2007 Issue

The kingdom—within and without

INGRID PESCHKE, STAFF EDITOR

I have a post-it note on my computer monitor that says: "Divine presence, breathe Thou Thy blessing on every heart in this house." That quote comes from a sermon by Mary Baker Eddy in which she also wrote: "May the kingdom of God within you,—with you alway,—reascending, bear you outward, upward, heavenward" (Pulpit and Press, pp. 10-11).

I love praying with these ideas. They impel me to stretch my thought beyond my own circumstances, beyond even my own home borders. It's truly awe-inspiring to think about what it means to be a part of God's kingdom, never to leave it, always to be "within" it. In this inner sanctuary each one of us is fortified, protected, embraced in God's love. In fact, it is this very state of "within-ness" that then naturally propels us "outward, upward, heavenward."

Christ Jesus certainly wanted his followers to know that they could never leave this kingdom and that they didn't need anyone's help to get there. In this week's issue, contributing editor Elaine Follis walks us through the Biblical implications of Jesus' statement "The kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). She explains that Jesus taught the truth behind this statement through parables, or stories, using everyday metaphors and events from people's lives. "Like leaven," Follis writes, "the kingdom is a force quietly at work . . . . Like a mustard seed, the kingdom may seem insignificant by the world's standards, but in fact is the mightiest kingdom of all. Like a fisherman's net, the kingdom draws in and embraces all sorts of people."

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