Kingdom Manifesto: A Call to Joyful Activism

Whether it is entirely true or not, a common complaint against Christians is that we are so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. (In our day it would be truer to say that we are so earthly minded that we are of no earthly or heavenly good!) Because some who profess Christian faith show little interest in making the world a better place, it is at least tempting to see a pursuit of joy as an explanation for their apathy toward the world in its distress. Those who flee the world and its problems to gain joy are not pursuing joy, but a counterfeit. Retreating from the world and its sorrow will not help them find the joy they are looking for. They won’t find it because it can’t be found that way. Joy is not a grail whose quest takes us away from others in their need; it is more like a magnetic force that draws us into their plight. Kingdom Manifesto explores New Testament teaching on the Kingdom of God and calls for joyful activists to invest their lives in what God is seeking to do in the world today. Joy is not only the strongest, healthiest motivation for engaging the world, it is one of the great objectives that God is seeking to bring about in our world.