This was a bit of a head scratching statement for those who heard it. Surely some looked around for a great palace and the tremendous military presence that they were certain would accompany the promised Messiah.
Instead, the guy that had been slinging a hammer in his dad's carpentry shop for most of his first 30 years said, "Hey, that kingdom you've been looking for is already here." Jesus' opening statement for His ministry set the perfect foundation for the 3 years that would follow.
The One who had all authority, power, and knowledge did the exact opposite of what everyone thought. He preached good news to the poor. Shared meals with tax collectors and sinners. Told stories about His Father's obsession with the one who is lost. Touched lepers. Shared water with an adulterous woman. Laughed with children. Fed thousands for free. Loved and nurtured 12 ordinary men and called them His disciples. Washed the feet of His betrayer. Died a criminal's death. Beat death, sin, and hell.
Instead of founding a kingdom driven by power, Jesus founded one built on humility. Instead of founding a kingdom obsessed with wealth, He founded one built on sacrifice. Instead of founding a kingdom of "me first," He founded a kingdom of "you first."
And that kingdom is still at hand.
Sure, it's hard to see these days. There's virtually no behavioral or values difference between those who say they follow Jesus and those who don't. While Jesus was irresistible, those of us who follow Him in the 21st century have become quite resistible.
Anti-homosexual. Judgmental. Hypocritical. Boring. These are some of the first perceptions non-Christians have of Christians as reported in the book, unChristian. What happened to the kingdom Jesus founded...the upside-down, alternate, counter-cultural kingdom of humility, service, grace, and love?
What if we could see the kingdom of God at hand in Columbia, SC? What if everything that is wrong was made right? What if people who call themselves followers of Jesus actually tried to act like Jesus? What if Jesus-followers realized they need to repent as much as those who are not Jesus followers? What if we lived with the expectation that God is already at work all around us and that He is inviting us to join Him?
Awaken is a community of people who live for the "what if."
We are a community of people seeking to adjust our lives around the life, mission, teachings, and Lordship of Jesus with the hope that as we do, others who are close by will be awakened to see the irresistible Jesus of the Scriptures in us.
Awaken is not a place to go as much as it is a people to belong to. We have been called to live out the good news of the Kingdom of God in such a way that every man, woman, and child in every niche of Metro Columbia would have repeated opportunities to see, hear, and understand the gospel of Jesus. Our dream is that church would happen in every place where people live, work, play, and serve.
We're not a reaction to more traditional forms of church. We're not trying to prove anyone wrong. We're not trying to stick it anyone. Our desire is to make the gospel accessible to those who are the most resistant to church and in doing so, partner with other gospel-centered churches and communities to see Metro Columbia transformed by the power of the gospel.
This journey is just beginning. You can follow along right here in our little corner of the web. If you're in Metro Columbia and want to know more, feel free to email us at awakencolumbia [at] gmail [dot] com.
Stay tuned to the blog for more on who we are, what we're doing, and how you can be a part of this movement. Also, we'll be using this site as the hub for our 40 Days of Prayer & Repentance initiative that will serve as the official beginning point for Awaken.
The Kingdom of God is at hand in Metro Columbia, SC. It's our prayer that God would awaken the people in Awaken to see and live in it and use us to help all of Metro Columbia to see and live in it.
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