Kingdom D.N.A.: the Nucleus part II

Relationships that give life

I can confidently say that I wouldn’t still be in the ministry I am in if it wasn’t for my friends and fellow travelers.

We have already talked a bit about the need for a committed core at the centre of the Kingdom D.N.A.

Sustaining this committed core is not easy.

The kind of relationships that are life giving, are those that reflect the Glory of God.

As we have already seen, the Glory of God is most clearly reflected in His moral nature, as seen in Exodus 34:5-7, which can be simplified as His Justice, Mercy and Compassion.

Perichoresis has two essential elements.

The first is mutual indwelling. Jesus talked about  “I in them and you in me” in John 17:23. This is most clearly reflected in the attribute of the Glory of God, mercy. Mercy most literally means, “getting inside the skin of another person”. In the incarnation, Jesus literally got into our skin, and at the same time God the Father was in Him, and He was in God the Father. We come alive in merciful relationships, where we both give of ourselves, and open ourselves to others.

The second is no loss of identity. This is most clearly reflected in the attribute of the Glory of God, Justice. Justice means that boundaries are not crossed. In just relationships our personal sovereignty is fully respected. As Jesus talked about the Father and the Holy Spirit and the Father talked about he son, it was clear that they were different personalities with different jobs to do, but that they appreciated each other.

In relationships that express Perichoresis, Justice and Mercy together create a framework for genuine Compassion.

Our ministry of reconciliation is not simply about communicating theological concepts in a way we convince others to believe it, it is about living a life of unity where people become more themselves. It is about living and creating Perichoresis, and in a very real way it is the life that we live that does the ministry, not the actions of any individual.

Whenever the church has grown, there has been deep fellowship at the core between people who are committed to Christ. Others who are still working out their commitment are sustained and nourished by this core.

The first question of Kingdom D.N.A. is: Do you love Jesus?

The second question of Kingdom D.N.A. is: What is your vision?

The third question of Kingdom D.N.A. is: Who are your friends?

The questions that come from it are:

• Are my friends also deeply committed to Jesus and His Kingdom?
• Are my friends committed to the same vision?
• Is there room for constructive conflict in my relationship with my friends?
• Do we really carry one another’s burdens?
• Do my friends help me carry my own load?