On Earth As It Is In Heaven

by Megan Rahn, in response to the prompt, "The contrast of God’s kingdom & worldly empires"

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Be magnified in the shadow of the margins,
Be glorified amidst the fight of oppression.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Where empires come to ruin,
And we are set free from money’s illusion.

On Earth as it is In Heaven,
Where the meek wins, 
And the peacemakers can rest,
Liberated from the valley of death.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Where citizenship isn’t defined by a passport,
But by unfailing covenantal love,
In the highest court.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Where footprints in the wilderness,
Are not without a place to call home.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Where thrones are built on justice’s foundations,
Where leaders seek to reconcile broken relations.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
When walls fall to the ground,
Making a new sound,
Because from dust it was born,
And from dust it will return.

On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Making a Way right through,
Springing forth rivers in dry land,
Quenching the injustice between me and you. 
On Earth as it is in Heaven,
Give us our daily bread,
So we can feed the unfed,
So we can prepare for the road ahead.

Reflection:
When Jesus taught us how to pray, he also taught us how to see and how to listen to a bleeding world. We cannot pray for what we ignore. We cannot pray for what we do not see or hear. The prayer On Earth as it is in Heaven commands the world and culture around us to wake up to the call of justice. It points us to a world where we imagine what heaven must be, so as to emulate it here. It is not enough to merely have rights as citizens in our own countries and empires, but we must know how to exercise them. We exercise them, as citizens of a higher kingdom, trusting that the Lord gives us enough to be a vessel of change. We listen with Heaven in mind. We respond with Heaven in mind. We vote with Heaven in mind. We protest with Heaven in mind. We challenge with Heaven in mind. We welcome others with Heaven in mind. 

This essay was written by Megan Rahn from our online writing community, and is shared with permission. You can follow more of her writing on Instagram @just_megan_rahn or on Facebook under Megan Rahn. 

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