baggage

Sunday June 1^st, Acts 1: 6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"  7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  I can hear the disciples talking now, “OK, this has been fun, and now can we go back to choosing sides on who will be the winners and losers in business as usual?”  It almost seems as if would have been appropriate for Jesus to ascend into Heaven shaking his head in disbelief over the cluelessness of the disciples, over the cluelessness of you and I.  Instead, he gives them, and you and I, once again directions on what we are to be about.  Go into the world and bring the Good news of salvation for all.  Go into the world and announce the Kingdom is near, where ever you are, whoever you are, go announce the good news.  It is not about the petty things of nation, party, ideology or religion, it is about the kingdom of God.  Before we too shake our heads in disbelief, remember all the times we have wanted, and still want, to claim the Kingdom of God as exclusive property.  Remember how we have wanted to hold up those hoops for others to jump through in our faith communities.  Remember the rules of righteousness we wanted to uphold to pretend we have the authority to keep others from God’s grace.  Jesus sends us out to simply announce that the Kingdom of God’s love and grace is at hand, all the other junk is simply our own baggage.