What does the kingdom look like?

I wasn't sure where to put this blog, on my God & Stuff or Credit Crunch, as it speaks to both.

Last week i was at a seminar where the speaker asked the question "what does the kingdom of God look like"? Apart from the obvious "a mustard seed" you mean?

The answer that he gave focused on signs and wonders. It was a revival/renewal meeting with prayer for healing at the end, so this wasn't surprising.

But i have been mulling over this question ever since. What does the kingdom of God look like?
I agree that we should expect to see miracles as signs of its reality. When the kingdom comes in all its fullness, we are told there will be no more illness.

But is that the main focus now? Two other things struck me as more obvious signs of the presence of the kingdom.

Firstly, justice. In the kingdom there will be an end not only of illness, but also of poverty. When Isaiah (or whoever!!) was given a picture of this coming kingdom he saw a place where the bruised reed wouldn't break - the poor and downtrodden wouldn’t be broken - where they would no longer cry out for help on the street - it was to be a kingdom of equality and fairness.

As Christians seek to live by kingdom values now, surely then we must seek to create a society where there is an end to poverty and greater. Surely we must live out God's bias to the poor and marginalised. Surely we must shun the 6 and 7 digit bonus culture and demonstrate a different way of living.

Which brings me to number two; transformed lives. Being a follower of Jesus is more than going to church on Sunday. It transforms every aspect of our being. Or at least it should. A sign of the genuine presence of the kingdom will be a transformed community of people living by different values, with different ambitions, held together by love - not wishy washy love or sexual love - but genuine sacrificial love for one another and for God.

When people on the outside of the kingdom come across it, they should see something of the power of God for sure, but primarily I think they should see something of the love of God being lived out in a community that cares for one another - especially its weakest and poorest members.

And i think that kind of community would be pretty good to belong to.