What has coffee to do with the Kingdom? This question is reflected upon as it relates to the different ways that Christians creatively seek shalom in their communities, laboring in all sectors of public life. The author explains that Christ came not just to rescue souls (though he had certainly come to do that) but to make all things new, including the structures of the world that cause suffering and mar the imago dei each person bears. Verbal proclamation of the gospel is not the Christian’s only calling in this life. Jesus came both to save persons from hell and to give them, as families, communities, and entire cities, an abundant life that the Father intended for creation from the beginning. Justice initiatives as well as commerce, classrooms, and yes, coffee, have everything to do with God’s coming Kingdom.
The Institute for Cultural Engagement, an official program of Multnomah University and Biblical Seminary