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How does the growth of God’s kingdom – the extending of his reign over human life – actually take place?
Such gains rarely happen through epic battles or signature pieces of legislation. God seems pleased instead to use countless small acts of courage, generosity, and kindness.
Ernest Gordon was a young Scottish soldier in World War II. He was captured by the Japanese forces occupying Southeast Asia.
Gordon was forced, along with other prisoners of war, to build a railroad for the Japanese army across mountainous jungle terrain.
The project included the famous bridge over the river Kwai. David Lean’s 1957 movie, which dramatized that part of the construction, fell well short of portraying the almost incomprehensible suffering endured by the Allied POWs.
More than 80,000 died building the railway. Exhausted workers were beaten to death. The prisoners descended into depression and bitterness. They stole rations from each other. They became like the animals they saw in the jungle.
But then miracles of grace began to happen. Hearts were transformed by God’s love.
In his book To End All Wars, Gordon documents his own decision not to surrender to hopelessness. He chose courage, hope, and forgiveness – even of his captors, who were treating him brutally.
At the end of one day, after his work party had labored for hours in the sun, Gordon’s team was compelled to stand in line while the prison guards counted the tools. That’s when the construction boss announced that one of the shovels was missing.
He demanded that the shovel be produced, and that the thief present himself for appropriate punishment.
No one spoke. No one moved.
The leader became enraged. “All die, all die!” he screamed.
At that moment one of the prisoners, a man who had recently committed his life to Christ, stepped forward without a word.
The construction boss attacked him fiercely. The prisoner did not survive the beating.
Gordon goes on to report that when the work party got back to the camp, the tools were counted again. It turned out that no shovel had been missing after all.
How does God’s reign advance on earth?
Not through hatred, coercion, or threats. Not through resolutions to pay back hurt for hurt.
One of history’s great ironies is that the peace that is available through God’s kingdom has not been achieved through violence against the king’s enemies.
Rather, it came through violence against the true King himself.
By surrendering his life, Jesus gave life to the world.
Fueled day-by-day by God’s grace, peace, and power, our call is to