NT Wright and Michael Bird don’t deny the certain benefits of Christendom, but they also dive into the destructive use of power in that time period as well. We have to reach for something more.

We believe instead in building for the kingdom of Jesus, not a social gospel, not a theocratic monarch with a magical sword, neither agrarian anarchism nor Neo-liberal economics. What we believe in is a Theo-political gospel that declares Jesus is Lord and Caesar is not, and Jesus’ kingdom is about forgiveness and freedom to flourish as renewed human beings. (p. 38)

We have settled for so little as believers. We are trying to grasp for power all over again and it is ugly. We don’t understand the power of the Kingdom of God.

I think of this C.S. Lewis quote when pondering western Christianity:

“Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Let us be committed to something greater! The politics of divine love, sourced out of God himself and flowing to all those around us. We look to be faithful witnesses of God’s great love and abundance in this world. Let us quit being so easily pleased!