Our Good Deeds Expand God’s Kingdom!

Jesus speaks of the Kingdom of God, but never tells us where it is. Instead, Jesus simply tells us where to look. Jesus might say today, “Look over there, where Thelma is calling her brother Ralph, the brother she has separated herself from for far too long. They have not spoken all year because of a family issue over money.

Thelma today is inviting Ralph to lunch to talk for “old time's sake.”  Ralph accepts the invitation. During the luncheon, and after much conversation, and many tears shed and buried hurts shared, they ended their long separation. All they had to do was reconcile past grievances, and God’s Kingdom is seen right in that restaurant. And that is why Jesus would say: “The Kingdom right there!”

And we too can do the exact same thing any minute, hour, or day when we decide “to bury the hatchet” and start loving again. Jesus points us towards the correct way and he says, “Look over there. Paul knows that Regis, his neighbor from down the block lives alone. Paul realizes he has not seen him sitting in his yard for a few days and he decides to ring his doorbell and say hello. Regis answers the door, and he lights up with a wide grin when he sees Paul.

Regis explains that his twin brother died, and he was simply grieving his loss with no one to share it with. He and Paul chatted for a while, and Regis admitted he was feeling much better. Paul’s kindness in visiting Regis, and Regis’s healing from his grief through this neighborly visit was, as Jesus would note, “A Kingdom of God moment happening.”

Scripture states that the Kingdom of God like flashes of lightening seen appearing here and there. Paul and Thelma are those flashes of lightning. They took the time to mend something broken or a casual knock on a neighbor’s door to bring the Kingdom near. And around them lightning flashed because they did what needed to be done.

Now we can all be Thelma and Paul, for we too have a barrel of good deeds to give away in our lifetime. All we must do is reach into our barrel and share its contents where needed.

Our acts can be a phone call or a tap on a sick neighbor’s door. And God delights watching us empty our “good deeds” barrel! With each deed accomplished, darkness and fear disappear leaving hope shining in its wake as God’s Kingdom grows larger and larger. To begin, simply reach into your barrel of good deeds and watch God’s kingdom grow!