Leo Tolstoy wrote a book entitled, The Kingdom of God is within You. It is powerful mediation on the conversion each individual is called to make to be faithful to the Gospel. However, the personal nature of the Kingdom of God that Tolstoy describes is not what Jesus had in mind when he said (in one translation): “the Kingdom of God is among you.” The kingdom is discovered among believers, in the midst of them. To use a sport analogy the kingdom is not tennis but football. You need every one to play their part in order for the kingdom to come to fruition. God is not looking for superior spiritual athletes but people willing to encounter one another in generosity, forgiveness and love.
