Devotional Reading from the Daily Common Lectionary: Luke 17: 20-37

Text: Once Jesus was asked when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is! For, in fact, the kingdom of God is in your midst. (vss. 20-21)

Hiding in plain sight. You may have heard that expression. It means that what you are looking for is not hidden but right in front of you; you just don’t recognize it. And so it is with the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is not in the “sweet by and by” or in some distant future. It is here, right now, in our very midst. We’re just overlooking it.

So what does the kingdom of God look like. I think I see it when a busy pharmacist looks beyond the surface of the person standing in front of them and sees in that person a Child of God, another person created in the Image of God, struggling to get through another day. I believe I see it when I read to a child who is not related to me and has had few, if any, people taking the time to read to them. I see it when a volunteer in a local agency volunteers to teach an adult to read in a not-for-profit center. I see it whenever I see someone put