Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”
~ Luke 17:20-21
Today, another day has dawned, wonderful as ever and bringing the promise of more possibilities and more favorable moments. This morning, a young loving mother woke up early to prepare breakfast and lunch boxes for her kids and the young dutiful father rustles them up and drives them school.
In another part of town, a young couple wake up excited to continue fixing up their new condo as they prepare for a life of pledged love with each other. And in another part of the globe, a doctor-couple work unheralded to do their share in fixing up a health system to improve the delivery of healthcare for young mothers and their children.
And at the end of today, the young parents will ask their kids how their school day was. The young couple will sit and share a bottle of wine to relish what they have accomplished for the day. The young doctors will be lolling in bed, maybe quietly reading or exchanging anecdotes from their clinics. And this weekend, they will all be treated by the largest full moon ever within this generation.
It is in homes like these that the future is being made and built. It is these people who will make things happen to make our world a better place. And it is the love and connection they create and affirm that will keep our humanity alive. Yes, the night has come but morning has also broken again.
I scanned the social media the whole day yesterday. There was a lot of pontificating, moralizing, lecturing, bloviating. There was still a lot of divisiveness and hatred and vitriol and gloating and anger. But I also saw a lot of people still loving (all the more), still hoping (with joy in their hearts), seeing the glimmering of dawn, the promise of tomorrow, and the abiding presence of God. In the despair and sorrow of Psalm 42, these words still shine through:
By day the Lord decrees his loyal love,
and by night he gives me a song,
a prayer to the living God.