Cliff Loesch
August 11, 2013
Matthew 6:7-15
On Earth As It Is in Heaven
A few years ago, our family was in Booker, Texas sitting in the high school auditorium waiting for a graduation ceremony to begin—at least, I think that’s why we were there. I was sitting next to Molly and we were just talking about lots of things. It was a really pleasant conversation. I felt very happy and content. Out of the blue, Molly asked me a question about heaven. As I recall, she asked, “In heaven, will we really be sitting around on clouds playing harps all the time?” The thought of it was not very appealing to her.
I’m not completely sure where the idea that we would all be playing harps originally came from. There is a verse in Revelation 14 that mentions a sound that was like the sound of many harps playing. Maybe that’s where the idea came from. But it’s more likely that the popular idea of playing harps in heaven came from John Bunyan’s book, The Pilgrim’s Progress, which dates back to the late 1600s.
I may have shared this story sometime in the past—but what I said to Molly was that nobody really knows exactly what heaven will be like. And in my view, much of the language in the Bible about heaven—about streets of gold and that sort of thing—I don’t take those things to be exact descriptions of heaven, but to me they are attempts to describe the indescribable; they are efforts to tell of something that is totally beyond our current experience, and better than anything we could conceive.
Furthermore, I told her, “This conversation we’ve been having tonight has been really pleasant. To me it seems like a little bit of heaven right here and now.” And Molly could see that. Then I added that my view of heaven is that I think it will be a lot like this moment—only even more. The best that we experience here on earth—I think these are glimpses of what heaven will be like. But even more than glimpses—they are heaven on earth.
Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6, and though I had originally planned to look at several parts of the prayer today—instead, I am only going to focus on the first part (verses 9 and 10).
I’m sure there is a lot that we could unpack in the opening address to God where Jesus says that God is in heaven—and the part where he says, “Hallowed be thy name.” But I want to focus on the first petition where Jesus says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
This is not a prayer that says, “Lord, please carry us through, just help us to endure this dark, evil world and quickly deliver us safely to heaven.” I think it is remarkable that this verse says nothing about heaven in the future—but talks about heaven in the present; not heaven in some far-off world, but heaven right here in our midst.
“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”
On earth. That is, now. Right here and now: Your kingdom come. Your will be done. That is one powerful prayer.
So what would earth be like if that prayer were fully answered? I mean, I’m asking you—what is heaven like? And what heaven-like things can come to pass in this world in which we live? What things would seem to you like heaven-on-earth? The inbreaking of God’s kingdom into our everyday existence? Surely it would involve lots of love between people, more cooperation, deeper understanding, and many other things.
Actually as I thought about this it seems to me that many of the Quaker testimonies are tailor-made for this prayer. Most of you know the Quaker testimonies—the things historically emphasized by Friends. We use the word SPICES to remember them: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, Stewardship and Service.
I am going to skip the first one, simplicity, for now.
But a world where God’s kingdom has come and God’s will is done would surely be a world full of peace; it would be a world filled with integrity; a world where people experience deep community; a world with equality, where every person is valued, loved, listened to, and understood; a world where stewardship is important: stewardship of all the planet’s resources and stewardship of each of our own resources of time, talents and treasure; a world where service to others is a very high value.
And what shall I say about simplicity? Would a world where God’s kingdom has come and God’s will is done be a world of simplicity? I think simplicity is one of the Quaker testimonies that is understood differently by different people. But if we’re talking about lives that are less complicated, about relationships that are low-maintenance, about lives that are less cluttered and less stressed—if we could experience simplicity in all of these ways then surely it would feel like heaven on earth.
Yes, when you pray the Lord’s prayer, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”—you are making an amazing request.
You are asking that heaven-like qualities be transferred from that other world into this one. You are seeking to experience more heaven on earth. You are longing for a deeper experience of God’s presence in everyday existence.
So how will this prayer be answered? And what’s taking so long? I think this prayer gets recited every week in a lot of churches. It’s a prayer that has been prayed a lot. You have prayed it a lot. So have I.
I think this particular prayer calls for action. And it calls for partnership with God.
To bring about the kingdom of God—you cannot produce it with guns or by force or coercion of any kind. You cannot bring about the kingdom of God through fear or guilt.
So how can we make earth more like heaven? Note that it seems like a prayer, a call, to partnership with God.
The idea of partnership with God is difficult to figure out, and hard to explain.
On the one hand, I would agree with Richard Rohr when he makes the point that “You are not in control.” (See Adam’s Return) Indeed, I am not in control. So much of the world around me lies completely beyond my control. And whenever I try to control the world around me—that is, the other people in it—disaster happens.
So I recognize the need for total reliance on God. God must be the initiator, the implementer and the finisher of anything good in this world.
On the other hand, I also see that God acts in this world almost exclusively through people. If I am unwilling to be God’s hands and feet, and if you are unwilling—then how, just exactly, will God answer this prayer for his kingdom and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven?
It will take some participation from you and from me to help create peace and equality.
Many people in this world have very hard lives. They experience injustice that is difficult for most of us to relate to or to imagine. Or the economic system they are part of works against them or offers almost no opportunity. Or their government squanders money on all the wrong things (or steals the money) and won’t provide very well the things that are needed: good education, police protection, safe drinking water. Or they live surrounded by violence: domestic violence, unsafe streets, or war.
I know that many would say to me that you can never expect God’s kingdom on earth without a complete transformation in everyone’s heart. Until people are completely yielded to God, there will be greed and violence. So what is the point of working for peace, or arguing for equality, or hoping for anything that resembles integrity in this broken world? It’s just wishful thinking without the inward transformation that must come first.
On the one hand, I totally agree with this point of view. Inward transformation must happen.
But I would also say that even still—there is much that can be done. God is not waiting until everyone changes their hearts. God is active. God is reaching out.
And if you say that people have to be completely yielded to God before this prayer can be answered, then who are we talking about? Is anyone already completely yielded to God? Are we talking about ourselves? Are we completely yielded to God?
And what could God do through someone who is inwardly transformed—and willing? And how would this person be a light to others? Would it help spark or encourage transformation in others? And what if it wasn’t just one person—but thousands or millions or billions of people who were ready to partner with God?
You better be careful next time you recite the Lord’s Prayer—the next time you pray the words, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” If you’re listening, you just might hear God say, “Great! I have some projects for you.”
Cliff Loesch 