EARNESTLY STRIVING FOR THE KINGDOM - A Reflection on “The Kingdom of God Suffers Violence”

The sentence, “Since the time of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force,” has long stirred debate among believers. Yet beneath the surface of the old language lies a message of profound spiritual urgency, one that speaks directly to our present human condition.

For me, and in harmony with the deeper insights of Creation, this passage is not a call to physical aggression. It is a wake-up call to inner intensity, a decisive resolve of the spirit.

From the moment John appeared, the Kingdom was no longer distant prophecy; it was near, pressing upon humanity. John announced Christ, who also declared that we must repent because the Kingdom is at hand. In other words, we must become accustomed to the Creation Laws of the Kingdom so that we may be worthy of it.

Anyone who resolves to be part of the Kingdom must immediately begin to practise obedience to these Laws continuously and relentlessly, with no retreat and no surrender, as one would in battle.

Whenever a human spirit embraces Truth, he often encounters a strong inner striving to remain on the right path along with equally strong resistance. Aspiration and opposition arise side by side. Thus the Kingdom and the longing for it “suffer violence,” not because God’s realm is weak, but because anything that stands for Light inevitably meets forces, both inner and outer, that resist ascent.

“The violent take it by force” refers not to cruelty but to those who rise with spiritual strength and break through the lethargy that has bound mankind since the Fall. It describes the pure, uplifting intensity of a determined will that refuses spiritual sleep.

Striving is woven into Creation itself. It is not strife born of hatred but a tension that keeps all things alert and alive. Nature bears witness. Mountains, forests, waters, every form of beauty emerges from forces that push, press, rise, and transform. Without this dynamic urge, the world would collapse into decay.

What many call cruelty in nature is often simply movement, preservation, and the pressure toward upward growth.

Human beings were meant to ennoble this instinct and spiritualise it through their higher will. Had mankind remained true, the inner “fighting instinct” would have become joyful striving, a mutual uplifting in which each soul’s movement strengthens another. Instead, humanity diverted the currents of spiritual power downward. The noble urgency that should have led to ascent has been misused for ambition, vanity, and empty pursuits. In place of spiritual strength, we cultivate weakness. In place of upward striving, we glorify comfort.

Today, when we hear that the Kingdom must be taken “by force,” it should awaken us not to earthly conflict but to the intense work of self-conquest that spiritual awakening requires.

It is a call to:

W. fight against our own complacency,

X. break through the fog of intellectual arrogance,

Y. reject the false softness that disguises weakness as love,

Z. and rouse the dormant spirit that was created to long for the Light.

Real spiritual life cannot be entered casually. The path demands alertness, resolve, and a willingness to struggle within oneself. Without this inner firmness, we sink. Creation does not reward passivity; it invigorates those who stand upright within it.

This is the “violence” that is spoken of: an inner resolve and clarity, an unyielding force of the spirit that holds fast to the Light in spite of all resistance.

The Kingdom is open, but it is entered by those who truly desire the Almighty, those who move forward with clarity, earnestness, and courage.

And in that sense, the words remain our guide:

Only the spiritually awake, the inwardly strong, and the joyfully striving take hold of the Kingdom.

Surrogacy: A Reflection on Life, Intention, and Blessing

Surrogate pregnancy is a place where the heart’s deepest yearning meets the miracle of life. It invites questions of ethics, law, and love. Beneath these, however, rests a simpler and more profound inquiry: what is the intention behind our actions? For in the eyes of the Creation Laws, it is intention rather than method alone that determines righteousness. Before the Creator’s laws of nature, the mechanism by which life arrives, whether through one’s own body, through the selfless gift of another, or through the aid of technology, is secondary to the sincerity, purity, and compassion that guide our choices.

Every birth, regardless of its circumstances, is a benevolently bestowed gift from above. It is immeasurably precious, never a commodity to be owned or measured, but a trust to be cherished. When childless hearts open themselves to receive life through surrogacy, can they be judged harshly? No. As with adoption, the blessing is magnified when a child is received not for personal gratification, but with love, hope, and the promise of nurturing that life into its fullest potential. In such cases, the act becomes a conduit of grace.

Surrogacy, like adoption or natural birth, carries its own complexities. Questions naturally arise. What rights belong to the child? How should the surrogate’s dignity and agency be upheld? Where do legal authority and moral responsibility meet? These concerns are significant and deserve thoughtful reflection, open dialogue, and carefully structured safeguards that honour each party involved. Yet even as we contend with laws, contracts, and societal expectations, the ultimate measure of right and wrong lies not in human codification but in the intention that animates the heart. Actions rooted in love, compassion, honesty, and reverence for life remain sacred, while actions driven by selfishness, coercion, or exploitation fall short of the divine purpose.

Seen in this light, every child born through surrogacy is a blessing and a living sign of love that extends beyond biological connection. When approached with integrity, humility, and reverence, the process teaches profound truths. It affirms that family is not confined to blood, that motherhood and fatherhood are defined as much by care and intention as by genetics, and that human life in all its forms possesses an intrinsic sanctity. To welcome a child through surrogacy, adoption, or natural birth is to accept a sacred responsibility. It is a call to protect, nurture, and honour the life entrusted to us, while remaining mindful of the heart from which our actions arise.

Even the concerns often raised about surrogacy, such as the risk of exploitation, the complexity of rights, or the possibility of misunderstanding, find their resolution in this central truth. It is the purity of intention that defines the moral worth of an action. When choices are guided by prayer, love, wisdom, and humility, the laws of the Lord view them as blessed. Where selfishness or cruelty intrude, those same laws discern error. Morality and ethics are not mere rules to follow, but reflections of the heart’s orientation, tested within the workings of creation itself.

In this sense, surrogacy is more than a medical or legal arrangement. It becomes a reflection on life, love, and human responsibility. Every birth is a gift, a renewed mercy, a visible expression of divine generosity. To participate in this gift consciously, with reverence and care, is to walk in harmony with the Creator’s will. It is to understand that while human laws offer guidance, it is our innermost intention that carries the greatest weight before the laws of creation.

Ultimately, surrogacy, like all birth, points us toward the sacredness of life. It calls us to act with love, to discern with wisdom, and to receive with gratitude. Every child, however conceived, arrives not merely as flesh and blood but as a living miracle, a blessing from above, placed into human hands capable of honour, responsibility, and selfless care.