If we carefully study the life and teachings of Jesus, I think a fair case could be made that for Jesus the one great sin is not disbelief but anxiety. From my studies, I've discovered Jesus isn't all that interested in the minutiae of what we believe but far more intrigued with the idea of simply loving God. It is a love centered in trust. Trusting God's love, unconditional and eternal. With such an understanding, everything in our lives gains a new perspective. If God promises never to abandon us, never to stop loving and accepting us, what is there to be afraid of? As I never grow tired of saying, remember what the angels proclaim when they make their appearances throughout the Bible..."Fear not. Don't be afraid."

I received a phone call from the police. The voice was slightly hesitant and very emphatic. "Pastor, I have some very bad news for you." Immediately, of course, I took inventory. Where were my kids? My wife? I've had to be the bearer of terrible news and so I swallowed hard and prepared for the worst. "Someone has thrown a rock through your car window." I nearly laughed out loud. It's not that I find vandalism particularly amusing but compared to what I was imagining, it very quickly fell into perspective. We discern the kingdom by keeping things in perspective.

The Kingdom of God is all around us. I have the enormous good fortune to have a beautiful memorial garden only steps away from my office. This week I went outside to sit and do some work but I quickly realized that my work was just to sit. I sat and watched as dozens of bees circulated amongst the little blossoms. Two butterflies flitted from flower to flower. Leaves ruffled with the wind. The sun cast shadows on the deck. I was in the kingdom.

Last week I was hiking with a friend who lives in a big city and who probably spends more time in an airplane every two weeks than I spend every two years. Up above the tree line, I stopped to enjoy an airplane, two engines humming, flying low over us. "What's the matter? You've never seen an airplane before?" my friend asked. I laughed but thought to myself as I stood there staring into the sky, "As a matter of fact, I never have seen this particular plane in this particular place at this particular time before." This is what I think it means to be mindful of the presence of the kingdom that is all around us.