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The Secret Message of Jesus
Brian D. McLaren's book, The Secret Message of Jesus, has pulled me into a quiet retreat for a time.
I have long been on a journey to find the kingdom of God of which Jesus is speaking in the first four books of the New Testament (Bible). Many of my encounters with the Christian faith have left me cold and empty. By the way, Jesus was not a Christian--that term was birthed after his death.
Among the ups and downs of my adventures have been those wonderful moments when the spirit would rise within me and the world would be changed; wonderful moments when reality held no meaning for me as the fountain of joy overflowed within me and I knew not where I was nor where I was going. As I read of the secret message of Jesus, I felt those wonderful moments must have been moments when I was experiencing the kingdom of God.
The secret message is not a new revelation. It has always been there. What is changed is the way you respond to the message as you are taken through a kingdom focused on injustice, poverty, education, integrity, the environment, hospitality, medical care, the healing of the earth, pollution, exploitation, greed, etc.
McLaren is sure the kingdom of God is populated by people from all religions, not just Christianity. It is open to all but those who actively oppose it. As a matter of fact it is possible that some Muslims, Buddhist and Hindus might “begin to ‘take their places at the feast,’ discovering the secret message of Jesus in ways that many Christians have not”. Of course, “there is always hope that we Christians will not be the last to rediscover the truth that could change everything”.
The peace of God's kingdom comes not through the violent torture and merciless extermination of the king's enemies, but rather through the suffering and death of the king himself. This is not the peace of conquest but rather the peace of true reconciliation. The king achieves peace not by shedding the blood of rebels but by shedding his own blood.
Please read the book as though you were reading a political, socio-economic, and spiritual mystery.
Jane Mullikin
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