Where is the Kingdom of God?

(NASA Photo)

Just what is this "Kingdom of God"?  It must be different from the kingdoms that continue to service in different parts of the world.  How can you even attempt to describe it?  At its root, notes Cardinal Wuerl, "... the kingdom of God is the presence of God."

We claim that we are among those who follow Jesus.  Many of us do.  For us knowledge and some understanding of the kingdom is important.  To his first disciples Jesus said "The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you" (Mk 4:10).  But to us who endeavor to know and to see the kingdom of God, we have been blessed with "eyes of faith".  However, we must know where to look for these eyes to work.  Most people will focus upon the word "eyes."  More important however are the words "of faith".  This is important to understand in itself because we are dealing not with the materialistic world but, rather, the spiritual realms.  For us spiritual "things" or realities are much like the wisp's of burning logs on a fireplace somewhere nearby which we cannot see but which our nose tells us are out of sight but nonetheless very real.

But how do we come to get at least some notion of the world of the spiritual?  Listen to young people who lack the vocabulary to describe adequately something that is far from tangible for them.  How many times in the description will you hear the word "like"?  Countless!  Adults, although with more information in their minds, are much like the younger set.  Jesus knew that!  His means of helping us understand the spiritual world can be found in the parables!

So, the kingdom might be very difficult to describe -- again it is invisible, spiritual -- but God has given us walkers, canes, crutches to help us begin to understand something about the kingdom.  We surely need all of these aides especially if we believe the presence of God is everywhere.