Jesus and the Reign of God (The Cross in the Lotus World, V. 2)

Rating:
Summary: Positive guidelines for thought and for action.
Review: More people are familiar with Jesus than with the "Reign of God", maybe because for a long time it has unfortunately been called the "Kingdom of God". So the author starts by giving some insights on what his title refers to.
The Reign of God is presented as not being a territory nor an institution, but the mere fact that God himself, directly or indirectly exercises the rule; the fact that any kind of segregation is abolished because ultimately there is only one God, who cares for the whole of humankind, regardless of faith or religion.
The reign of God is not a matter of devotion but of involvement in the world. What we do for or against others, we do for or against God and his Reign which covers all worlds.
In more practical terms, one of the characteristics of Jesus that are put forward here is that he preached acceptance before unity. Acceptance breeds unity and not the reverse, despite the regrettable fact that many people behave as if it were the opposite and that for instance, two thousand years later Christian churches still require that people be baptized in order to be accepted as children of God. Ironically, acceptance still comes first, but only so long as the burden lies on the other party.
The book provides many references to actual situations and offers solid arguments inviting us to transform this world where all too often one can run into what the author calls "the oppression of the oppressed by the oppressed", one of the most depressing realities to be encountered on earth.
The Reign of God is not a concept nor a matter of words, but a matter of persons struggling against every type of power that tends to dehumanize people.
This book offers multiple opportunities to reappraise some of our assumptions and to transfigure ourselves in order to contribute to the transfiguration of the world. It may take some time to read thoroughly, but it is worth it.