Matt Mings on 
Brian Niece on Head On a Swivel
The lectionary Gospel text for this coming Lord’s Day opens the Church Year by looking toward the coming kingdom of God (Luke 21:25-36). The term “the second coming” isn’t found in scripture, but we’ve been guilty of extracting this concept from such texts. The primary emphasis of Advent is waiting with expectation for that hopeful return. But this narrative from Luke’s gospel seems to suggest that signs of God’s Kingdom are already here (and have been here for a long time).
We’re told to “stand … look up … be alert.” It’s the exact same instruction I would give to teenagers (mostly junior-high boys) when I was ministering to youth: “Keep your head on a swivel.” Now, when I said it I was trying to train certain young men to pay attention to life around them: hear what is said to you, respond, watch out for what’s coming your way. As you can imagine, junior-high boys lacked a great deal of attention. I could tell that they were trying though, when I’d hear them say to each other, “Keep your head on a swivel,” before I could get the words out of my mouth!
I’ve had to keep my head on a swivel more so than usual lately. As I’ve struggled with an eye problem, I’ve been restricted to glasses and my vision has been impaired. I’m told it’s temporary and repairable. But it’s causing me to “see” around me in a whole new way (and empathize with those who have lost their sight). I’ve noticed things that have never caught my attention before, because now I’m forced to squint and look diligently all around me. It’s actually been a means of thanksgiving to God.
What if we were all to keep our heads on a swivel by looking for signs of God’s Kingdom everyday, in the mundane and ordinary, in the sublime and electric? Could we find God’s Kingdom? We might be able to recognize a smile on a face that usually frowns as a sign of God’s joy. A beautiful morning might be a sign of God’s on-going creation. A restful sleep (too few and far between for me) might be a sign of God’s peace. Leaning into the Spirit as we allow our minds and imaginations to embrace the smallest signs of harmony, love, Christ’s identity, and meaningful relationships might result in lightning rod conduits for the Kingdom. And we might even train ourselves to finally see the presence of Christ in those we so often ignore.