The Kingdom of God is like the desert...

We just got back from two days in the desert outside Phoenix, AZ. The rules are different out there. The weather is extreme. The coyotes are close at hand, as are the rattlesnakes and many kinds of cactus. Danger is everywhere. The world feels just a little out of control. It's good to have it that way once in a while.

Now we are back in suburbia, and I have a question. What is the kingdom of God supposed to look like? I ask because I think we are a little kingdom-deficient in Western, suburban Christianity. For us, the kingdom tends to look like suburban life. It looks and smells nice, and it is able to be planned and budgeted. When I read the Bible, I think the kingdom is supposed to be a little more like the desert -- dangerous and uncontrollable. More thoughts on this in the coming days.

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