The Kingdom of God is like . . .

This conversation between a Teacher and their student;

“Teacher, I want to hear the voice of God.”

“Good, what do you expect from the Infinite Almighty?”

I’m not sure. From Someone so mysterious, perhaps a great wind.”

“Yes, go on . . .”

“From Someone so mighty, perhaps an earthquake”

Thoughtfully the Teacher listened. “And go on.”

“From Someone so glorious, perhaps a purifying firestorm.”

“Yes . . .  Come sit with me in the shade of this tree.”

And they sat together quietly for some amount of time.

The teacher entered into the silence. “What do you hear.”

Surprised, the student offered obviously, “Nothing.”

“Hmmm,” the teacher voiced, nodding his head only so little in agreement. “Let’s listen longer.”

And they sat. And they listened. And they listened longer. The student moved. The teacher did not. And they sat. And the teacher asked, “What do you hear?”

The student, a bit irritated offered, “More nothing. Quite a bit more nothing.”

“Hmmm, Let’s listen longer.”

The student thought to weigh in on this current confusing lesson. But the Teacher made it clear in the expression of his face that he was not taking questions just now.

A great time passed. It grew dark and a cool breeze drifted over their shoulders.

“What do you hear?”

After some time, more time than you might think from our impatient student.

“I hear the leaves rustling above me and in the distance, I just heard the evening meadowlark song. ”

“Yes. Good. I heard that too. Now, what do you hear that I do not hear?”

After some more time, some deep moments of silence later, the student quietly spoke . . . “My heartbeat in my ears.” Then glancing at the Teacher, more quietly yet; “And perhaps a still small voice.”

Some time passed. It was dark. They could barely make out each other’s expressions.

“And what is that still small voice saying?”

Quite quickly, A smile came across the face of the student. He brought his right finger up to his lips, touching the tip of his nose with the tip of his finger. He smiled more broadly, like there was a secret joke. The Student answered the question simply and quite quietly, almost beyond hearing . . .

“Shhhhhhhh.”

Some time passed.

The Teacher said, with an unseen smile in his voice, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”

What do you think it means when the Teacher says, “You are not very far from the Kingdom of God” ?

How do these verses inform you?

1 Kings 19:11-13; And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Mark 12:28-34; And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”  Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.