Love. Humanity. The Kin-dom

I've been doing quite a bit of traveling lately.  It's an insane time of semester, but somehow, with grace and faith, I'm managing.  This week alone, I passed through Grand Central Station twice.

On Sunday night, I was there at 11 pm, having just taken a Megabus from Washington, D.C.  I caught the 11:39 train to New Haven and got home at 2 am.

I was there again this afternoon, in the midst of the Friday rush, to catch a bus to the JFK airport.

I'm flying to San Francisco to attend the wedding of a college friend this weekend.  Last weekend, I visited 2 friends (Bekah, from my music therapy internship 7 years ago and Dina, who I went to 8th grade with) in Washington, D.C.  On the 5-hour Megabus ride from DC to NYC, I befriended and got to share Jesus with 2 students from China who are studying law at Columbia.  Traveling again this weekend, I prayed again for God to work in me during my travels.

Today, as I beheld the writhing masses of humanity streaming around in New York, I saw again with new eyes the way God sees us.  I've been wrestling a lot lately with my identity and my calling.  But I was struck on the bus with the reminder that I cam called to love people, no matter where I am and what I'm doing.  Humanity is a broken mess, but we are called to love them as Jesus loves them.  That is what the kingdom of God is about.  Or, as we like to say in Divinity School, in an effort to remove language of conquest and male domination: the kin-dom, the family of God!

Last night at home group, we prayed over the City of New Haven and the spiritual darkness we have felt over it.  Even at the Divinity School, there are sometimes spiritual forces and battles beyond my comprehension--but which I sense and feel discouraged by.  My friend Tori encouraged me to confront the darkness with love.  We win battles through praise and worship (like Joshua toppled Jericho), and we must exercise our spiritual authority in such a manner.

Jesus, may I confront all the spiritual darkness in the world with your Love.  I will go wherever you take me among the writhing masses of humanity.  May your kin-dom come and Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!

Amen.