Friends feel that the Kingdom of Heaven is a state of being, a new community, a new way of spiritual life that we establish in this world and take into the next. We must want to enter this kingdom, and cannot do so without submitting to the will of God. We think this because that's what Jesus said of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Anyway, while on vacation I started to reflect on the Kingdom of Heaven. While doing so, I was complaining to myself that those who have a strict biblical interpretation seem bent on deciding who is NOT in the kingdom of Heaven. As I focused on that, a voice came and said to me: "Yes, but it is also not YOUR job to decide who IS in the kingdom of Heaven".
It seems to me that therein lies our problem--those of who have a less literal interpretation of scripture are sometimes just as bent on deciding the hand of God as we say that the more fundamentalist seekers are. As Friends say repeatedly, we must continue to wait in silence for the Spirit to help lead us to the truth. We can't "lean unto our own understanding". It is only through that discipline that we can gradually find these answers. The process can be long and painful, and it is up to each of us to listen to the Holy Spirit repeatedly, and do so in a humble manner.
It occurred to me that when conservative Friends speak of the simple life, we are describing a spiritual existence that allows us to spend more time with God, but there's another important reason for the simple life. If we live simply, then we can know that we are living in a way and forming a community that everyone could be a part of. If we have a huge house, and use a large amount of resources, then we have to be aware that if everyone on the planet tried to live this way it would be impossible—some would by definition have to go without. But living simply allows for others to have the possibility to live simply as well, instead of living in dire poverty. After a certain point of wealth, the more one person takes, the more necessary it is for another to be destitute. Where that point occurs, is of course up to debate, but it does occur somewhere.
In reference to the thoughts on power earlier in this discussion, perhaps there's another way to seek power other than with money and through politics or warfare. The desire for fame is perhaps another manifestation of the desire for power. We sometimes want so badly to be the center of attention and the center of focus in our community that we forget what a shallow goal that is. Whether we covet fame or not, we sometimes tend to regard it as the ultimate goal, and the greatest achievement. Why is it so important to be singled out, to be more important than those around us? If fame is the ultimate goal, then there are going to be many who are unfulfilled. If someone in our community has made a significant impact on our lives or the world, then we can congratulate that person without coveting the attention he or she receives, or assuming that person has become exalted. For many everyday contributions ultimately are more significant than a few large ones.
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