Thy Kingdom Come on Earth

“Thy kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven.”

As a follower of Jesus, I—like many Christians—pray this prayer every time I participate in corporate worship. Even more, the prayer is a regular part of my daily spiritual discipline of prayer as it is for many others.

Do we recognize what we are praying when we say, “thy kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven”?

This petition—"thy kingdom come on earth … as it is in heaven”—is a political statement. To pray it is to pray a prayer of political defiance. It is to embrace a posture of resistance.

Those first disciples who heard the prayer would have heard it against the backdrop of the Roman Empire. It was a prayer for the ways of the empire to be replaced with the ways of God Jesus taught—the ways of the kingdom. To pray it was an act of rebellion against Rome. To pray this petition today is to engage in an act of political defiance. It is to stand in opposition to the MAGA spirit embodied in the authoritarian actions of the current administration. Even though the MAGA culture is fueled by evangelical Christians, its spirit and actions are at odds with the ways of God Jesus taught.

Consider the ways of the kingdom of God in contrast to the ways of the MAGA culture.

In the kingdom, every person—without exception—is viewed and valued, accepted and embraced as a beloved child of God. The prayer teaches us to say “Our Father which art in heaven.” Our Father, not my Father. To claim my identity as a beloved child of God leads me to see every other person as a beloved child of God, as well. In contrast to this kingdom principle, the MAGA spirit intentionally divides the world into us-them. It fosters polarization and division, pitting us against them—"those people.” It scapegoats different groups, attacking them as the problem that needs to be eliminated in order to Make America Great Again—immigrants who are poisoning the blood of our nation and eating the pets, the Libs, the elites, the Dems, LGBTQ people, DEI hires, those living off the government dole, the enemy within our borders and in political office.

The MAGA culture operates out of an arrogant spirit—a sense of superiority over “those people.” This arrogant spirit can be seen in the various elements that make up the MAGA culture—white supremacy, Christian nationalism, the religious right, patriarchy that treats women as subservient to men, the private militias such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. In contrast, those living the ways of the kingdom operate out of an attitude of confident humility. They are confident in their understanding of the ways of God Jesus taught and are committed to living them. That confidence is coupled with and tempered by humility—a teachable spirit that knows there is always more to learn. This humility and teachableness trains the follower of Jesus to be open, exploring, discerning, willing to think, willing to see multiple sides to every issue (as opposed to black-and-white, either-or, right-and-wrong thinking), willing to engage with those who think differently, and willing to change their position when greater evidence comes to light. They are not afraid of scholarship or science.

In the kingdom, power is used to serve (Mark 10:41-45). In the MAGA culture, power is sought through political office within the political hierarchy and, once obtained, protected at all costs. It is used to gain greater wealth—the measure of greatness (success) in the MAGA world. Power is used over, down against anyone who is not “one of us.” It is used to intimidate, attack, and destroy—the way a school yard bully or an authoritarian dictator does—in order to get its way and what it wants. It uses power to gain compliance, conformity, and capitulation.

In the kingdom, power is used to care for the poor, the powerless, and the most vulnerable—the widow, the orphan, the immigrant (Isaiah 1:17). Power is used to provide for, advocate for, and address the causes that create their situation. Power is used to empower the powerless. The MAGA culture demonstrates no care, concern, or compassion for those Jesus referred to as “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40, 45).

In the kingdom, a servant spirit—the spirit of Jesus—is the measure of true greatness (Mark 9:33-37). That spirit is seen in how it treats the most vulnerable—in how it seeks the good and wellbeing of all. The MAGA culture operates out of a what’s-in-it-for-me spirit. This self-serving, me-centered spirit treats every relationship as a transaction—a deal to be made with the objective of “what can I get out of it.” The more I get, the better the deal. If the other doesn’t pay “their fair share,” the relationship is abandoned. This transactional attitude leads to the “America First” posture while exploiting and sacrificing the most vulnerable.  

Given these radical differences between the ways of the kingdom and the ways of the MAGA world, we would be wise to beware of praying “thy kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven.” To do so is an act of political defiance that fosters within us an attitude of resistance. As we pray “thy kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven,” the Spirit calls us to translate our praying into action. The Spirit calls us to advocate for the ways of God Jesus taught while standing against the self-serving, what’s-in-it-for-me spirit of the MAGA world. It calls us to action. The kingdom can only come on earth as we the followers of Jesus do the will of God in our everyday lives—that is, as we live the ways of God that Jesus taught.

And so, we pray together, saying, “thy kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven.”