Have you thought about the Kingdom of God lately? Let me share a few quotes from a favorite book that explain in part why I love landscape photography, why it inspires me and delights my soul.

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Mark 10:14-15)

“I am being as serious as Jesus when he warned that only the child-heart can receive the kingdom…. For it is the child-heart still in us that loves Mos Eisley, Middle Earth, Narnia–those fairy-tale worlds that in hope-beyond-hope we long to be lost in ourselves… I believe it is right here that we can discern the longing for the kingdom most clearly–the child in us longing for wonder and a “new world”; the promise of the earth in its wildest and most radiant moments whispering back, It is coming; it’s just around the corner.” ~ All Things New by John Eldredge

Crater Lake Afternoon (photo by Lori Benton)

“It was our creative Father who gave us our imaginations; the “visions” we tell in story are often prophetic glimpses into his wondrous realms, and his creative majesty will certainly do ours one better in the world to come… I am treasuring now every taste of the promise that comes my way. I am seeking them out with new eyes, letting them broaden my kingdom imagination, fill these empty files with brilliant expectations.” ~ All Things New by John Eldredge

It was the Unicorn who summed up what everyone was feeling. He stamped his right fore-hoof on the ground and neighed and then cried: “I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now. The reason why we loved the old Narnia is that it sometimes looked a little like this.” ~ The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

His kingdom is coming! It is just around the corner…