We must carefully and creatively bring the message of Jesus forward to the present day. How we do this is a theological pursuit as well as an artistic one. Several metaphors for “the kingdom of God” have been offered with the disclaimer that there may be misunderstandings and limited shelf life, just as it was in Jesus’ own time.
- The dream of God – His dream for His creation was and still is one of freedom and creativity, kindness and justice, generosity and peace, and diversity and harmony.
- The mission of God or the network of God – God desires that we be organically connected to exchange information and resources for both insiders and outsiders. We might call this the community of God, or even God’s ecosystem where all things work together in balance and harmony.
- The revolution of God – God is recruiting a people for a movement of change without using the corrupt tactics of the current cultural regime. Some have referred to this as a Divine conspiracy.
- The tribe of God – Instead of the tribalism which results in warfare and genocide, this tribe offers identity and significance for all.
- The story of God – Each person’s personal narrative becomes a vital part of God’s metanarrative. We are invited to the center of the grand story without becoming the center of the story.
- The school of God – We are learners, followers, and disciples. As the guild of God we craft the art of living and loving, and as God’s symphony we all blend together our unique parts into a grand composition.
- The dance of God – The Greek noun perichoresis was the early church’s favorite word to describe the interrelationship of the holy Trinity. When the prefix peri (around) is linked with the root of the verb choreum (to dance), a compelling metaphor is formed or “choreographed” to describe the “one nature in three persons.” The entirety of the cosmos and its creatures were created to be an extension and expression of this dance.