Society and the Kingdom of God

Awhile back I wrote about the Kingdom of God. I talked about five different ways to answer that question. Since then, I've written about how the Kingdom of God relates to politics and religion. Today I'm going to talk about how the Kingdom of God relates to society.

I've written before about how important it is for Christians to try to create a just society. Social justice is one of the defining characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Today I'm going to talk about what justice looks like in the Kingdom of God.

First of all, in a just society people treat each other fairly. They don't murder, steal from, or lie to one another. Even more than that, they don't deal deceptively with one another. They don't rip people off by buying things for less than they're worth or by selling things for far more than they're worth. In other words, they obey the golden rule.

Additionally, in a just society people get along with one another. They don't hold grudges toward other people. They aren't envious of other people's status, relationships, or possessions. People live peacefully with one another.

Finally, in a just society people show mercy to others. They love and have compassion for people who are less fortunate than themselves. They do not exploit or oppress people who are weaker or are less fortunate than themselves. Instead the strong protect the weak and the rich care for the poor so that no one is in need and no one is taken advantage of.

This idea of a just society is central to the Kingdom of God. It may seem like a lofty, Utopian ideal, but it is something that Christians are called to pursue in our own lives, in our communities, and in the world at large.