In our house we talk often about the mysterious “now and not yet” nature of the kingdom of heaven. We wrestle with what that means, and why the world is so dark even though Christ is risen, the long-promised light for all nations. We meditate on a kingdom that comes not through a tsunami wave or an avalanche, but as a seed and as yeast.

The waiting is so painful. Little pockets of yeast grow into nourishing bread and some seeds bloom into gardens of love and goodness, but the whole earth is still groaning and suffering much like it was 2,000 years ago.