Those influences which really make and mar human happiness and greatness are beyond the reach of the law. The law can keep neighbors from trespassing, but it cannot put neighborly courtesy and good-will into their relations.
The Kingdom of God is not a matter of getting individuals to heaven, but of transforming the life on earth into the harmony of heaven.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that spirituality is about improving life on Earth rather than solely focusing on an afterlife.
Walter Rauschenbusch's quote suggests that the essence of the Kingdom of God is not merely concerned with personal salvation or the fate of individuals after death. Instead, it advocates for a transformative vision where the values of love, justice, and harmony prevalent in a heavenly existence are manifested in our everyday lives and society on Earth. It reflects a call to action for believers to engage in social justice and community improvement, making the world a better place through spiritual principles.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a sermon discussing community engagement, one might say, 'As Walter Rauschenbusch reminds us, the Kingdom of God is about transforming our earthly life into a reflection of heavenly harmony.'
More from Walter Rauschenbusch
All quotes βChristianity is in its nature revolutionary
Whoever uncouples the religious and the social life has not understood Jesus. Whoever sets any bounds for the reconstructive power of the religious life over the social relations and institutions of men, to that extent denies the faith of the Master.
We never live so intensely as when we love strongly. We never realize ourselves so vividly as when we are in full glow of love for others.
Similar quotes
The kingdom is where the King reigns. If He is reigning in my heart, then the Kingdom of Heaven has come to me.
The soul at its highest is found like God, but an angel gives a closer idea of Him. That is all an angel is: an idea of God.
The greatest act of faith is when a man understands he is not God.
What does it matter how one comes by the truth so long as one pounces upon it and lives by it?
Christian optimism is not a sugary optimism, nor is it a mere human confidence that everything will turn out all right. It is an optimism that sinks its roots into an awareness of our freedom, and the sure knowledge of the power of grace. It is an optimism that leads us to make demands on ourselves, to struggle to respond at every moment to God's call.
Ultimately, America's answer to the intolerant man is diversity, the very diversity which our heritage of religious freedom has inspired.