Brian McLaren "Kingdom Of Heaven"

"Light"-Hearted

"Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear."

-Snow Patrol "Run"




"In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. And the Light
shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it (put it out or absorbed it, is completely unreceptive to it)."

John 1:3-4

"As long as I am in the world, I am the world's Light."

-Jesus (John 9:5)

"You are the Light of the world."

-Jesus (to the crowd in Matthew 5:14)

"What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light."

-Jesus (Matt 10:27)

"I see it in your eyes. You have the look of a man who
accepts what he sees because he is expecting to wake up.
Ironically, that's not far from the truth."

-Morpheus (The Matrix)

"All my instincts, they return
and the grand facade, so soon will burn
without a noise, without my pride
I reach out from the inside

In your eyes
the light the heat
in your eyes
I am complete
in your eyes
I see the doorway to a thousand churches
in your eyes
the resolution of all the fruitless searches
in your eyes
I see the light and the heat
in your eyes
oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
the heat I see in your eyes."

-"In Your Eyes" performed by Jeffrey Gaines




"For the wisdom of the (system of the )world is foolishness before God."

-1 Cor 3:19

Enlightened is such a fascinating word. Light is interesting enough. Jesus used the idea of light numerous times to describe the heart of who He was and the heart of His message. I've been thinking a great deal about this topic of light and life. (I'm sure a DC series is on the horizon:) There seems to be a direct correlation between the degree that we welcome light in our lives and the degree it permeates us. What would it look like to be people growing in en"light"ened hearts? What kind of light is this? Interrogating light? Shaming light? Embracing light? Irresponsible light? Loving light? Really? What are areas in your life that are not "enlightened"? Fears? Wounds? Shame? Hatred? Bitterness? What if real love (agape...love as God is) is light? Here's the thing... I think we know "light" moments and people when we see them and experience them. In conversations...in nature...in reading...in movies...in music...in "a look"...an embrace...a whispered thought...a letter...in silence...light can happen. Just a few thoughts on the journey. Much, much more to come on this topic down the road.

Curious Soul..Embracing Agape...Creating Life

"On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind
Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?
The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline
Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump
Tell me what you find when you read my mind

Slippin’ in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again"- "Read My Mind" The Killers

"When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I wanna mean it from the back of my broken hand
Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier"
- "All These Things" The Killers

"The world that I see inside you
Waiting to come to life
Waking me up to dreaming
Reality in your eyes
Looking at you,
Holding my breath,
For once in my life
I'm scared to death,
I'm taking a chance,
Letting you inside."- "First Time" Lifehouse

"Truly I say to you, unless you repent (change your mind about what you think about God become like children [trusting, lowly, loving, forgiving], you can never enter (experience) the kingdom of heaven."- Jesus (Matthew 18:3)

"This mystery is very great."-Paul (Ephesians 5:32)

"It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling the whole world with Himself, not counting up and holding against [men] their trespasses [but cancelling them], and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration of all things)."- Paul (1 Corinthians 5:19)

I've been thinking a lot in the last month of cryptic creation. The idea that there are things both in us and all around us that inevitably lead us to a bigger story. Jesus says a lot of cryptic things. It's as if he enjoys leaving things out there, for you and I to fully dive into and discover. The mystery is out there to be embraced and discovered. Let me give a few snippets.

*Let's say that someone that you trust comes along and says "I know what your life looks like.I know what happens." Let's say that you really believe them and know they know what they're talking about and aren't missing medication. What would you say? Would you really want to know? Really? The people that I presented with this question said they wouldn't want to know. Next one.

*A friend sees that movie that you have waited expectantly to see. He comes to you, giddy, about his moviewatching experience. He begins to share. Now he's sharing too much and giving things away. What do you say? After all, if the movie sucks he could be saving you money and potential misery. Again, the people I presented with this scenario all said they would say "shut up, already" or slap the person on the head or both. Why? That's the real question and where the brilliance of Jesus comes in.
The truth is that as much as we like to know the answers, we love mystery. We want to discover is for ourselves. There is this core, created curiousity in us, gang, both of people and life. Typically, at what season of our life are we most curious
and open and loving and not worrying?

"You can't experience the kingdom of Heaven (how things are supposed tobe) unless you have faith like a child" - Jesus

The truth is that we die when we lose our curiousity, creativity, and questions with life. Maybe you grew up or are currently in a religious community or community environment that doesn't value questions. Maybe they see it as anti-spiritual or anti-Jesus. Jesus speaks in cryptic ways because, I believe, he understands that the people that are willing to be open and pursue it will and those who don't won't.

"Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened."

Maybe you remember a time where you were curious and alive and someone shamed you in the name of god. It killed your heart and you haven't been the same since. What if asking questions and honestly pursuing them was a sign of healthy spirituality? I believe that it is. It's our universal createdness, gang. Everyone thinks about things, but not everyone feels validated in that journey. So my question, to you is "What questions are you pursuing? What thoughts are you engaging? Are you owning your spiritual journey? Are you sharing your journey with others? Asking them the questions you're pondering?" I believe, we find what we're looking for, in the end. We find what we were created to discover.

Here's something I've been pondering a bit more lately. When I ask the question, "Do you think things are the way they're supposed to be?", I've had no one say "Yes, I love how everything's working so perfectly in the world." The question then is how do I know things aren't supposed to be this way. What's the core of that, the heart of it? We all know the moments, where we've been apart of something (a conversation, embrace,gathering, concert, service endeavor, whatever) and knew something bigger was happening. Those moments give hope. We feel alive. What if when we are involved in a moment that's "how things should be" or if we help make things right we are bringing something much bigger to life? God IS love.

Human "Be"ing

"When you try your best but you don't succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse.
And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth.
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones." -"Fix You" by Coldplay (watch this on YouTube)

"The Light came into the darkness and the darkness didn't understand it (didn't have a compartment for it!)" - John 1:5

"There was the true Light, which coming into the world, enlightens every man." - John 1:9

"In Him was life and the life was the light of men." - John 1:4

"While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." These things Jesus spoke and then He went away and hid himself - John 12:46

"You are the light of the world" - Jesus

"My yoke is easy...my burden is light" - Jesus


Can I believe that God values and loves me just "as I am"? We carry shame. We carry wounds. We carry lies. We carry broken images of God. We carry light. Wounded healers. What does it look like to let light into tough places in my life/heart? Many of us have become masters of hiding. Sometimes we hide behind smiles. Sometimes we hide in work. Sometimes we hide in religious activity. Sometimes we hide in substance abuse. Sometimes we hide in unhealthy relationships. Some avenues of hiding are socially "frowned upon". Other avenues are applauded. All of it, at the core, is rooted in a belief that "I'm not lovable or acceptable as I am. God certainly wouldn't."


I don't know what en"lightening" for you could/would look like. I don't know how you're week has been. I don't know what you're thinking, believing, feeling, wishing, hoping right at this moment. I DO know that you are loved.....just....as....you.....are. Past the hiding and the tools that we use to hide...past the shame that put us in hiding in the first place...past the wounds that brought the shame...loved...accepted...worthy...valued...right there. In that place. "As I am". I pray that you embrace that idea as it's always embraced you. I pray that you are thinking about, encouraged on, or remembering with joy the healing journey. More than anything, I pray that in the depths of you...in this moment...you know...that you really, really matter. You aren't an accident. You aren't stupid. You aren't worthless. You matter...more than you and I can know right now. You're loved...just as you be. It's in that place that light takes on a "whole" new meaning and that "being" light becomes more and more intriguing as the house of my life lights up. Shalom!

At hand....

Frankly, alot of stuff that Jesus says is both fascinating and crazy to me. The gospels say that Jesus often went about the countryside teaching the "kingdom of Heaven is at hand". Interesting statement. The phrase at hand can be translated as "around you to be experienced". The kingdom of Heaven is around you to be experienced. The way things are supposed to be. God's dreams for creation....at hand. I grew up in a "when we all get to heaven" religious concept, which certainly had it's benefits, but often ignored any creativity or real action in following our hearts to bring God's dreams to life.

How are things supposed to be then? I believe that we are all created with this core curiousity and sense of something bigger about life. I've asked the question to many friends, "Do you think things are they way they're supposed to be?" Every person has said "No, I don't". The next question is "How do you know things aren't supposed to be like this?" How do we know? I think that's absolutely fascinating. We have a soullish sense that things should be better.

What does God dream? What does God hope for? What do you I/you hope for and dream? For you life? Family? Friends? Community? The planet? I've yet to hear someone "dream" for pain and harm in these areas. I've met multiple people who really haven't thought about it but are open to chewing on it. What if when we pursue these hopes and dreams we are mystically bringing God's hopes and dreams into being? "The kingdom of Heaven at hand". I'm thinking about this alot lately. There you go.

The Obligatory Intro...

Hello, hello.

My name is Brad Hill. Married to Raegen...31...live in Olathe KS. 2 dogs...1 cat. On staff at Olathe Life Fellowship. Love sports. Love helping people discover/internalize who God is, how He sees them, and everyone. Love teaching and having conversation over a vanilla latte, Boulevard Wheat, or Cohiba. I'm a big fan of OU (Oklahoma Sooners, for the sports novices), Chicago White Sox (2005 World Series Champs), New Orleans Saints, and general sports conversations. I also love to engage in making things right in the world....specifically with AIDS orphans in Africa. Went to South Africa 3 years ago and learned the word "sawobona". Literally means "I see you". More than an indifferent greeting, it speaks to value and seeing the heart of someone as a human being loved and created by God. Lovely stuff. You'll find random musings along with past and present devo thoughts in the future. There it is. Obviously appreciate feedback and I hope that OU beats Texas by 40 Saturday....at halftime!