Author Interview with Richard Porter

An author interview with Richard Porter about his new book The Kingdom of God - The Director's Cut: Understanding the Greatest Show on Earth

Jesus taught us to pray for God’s kingdom to come. But do we understand what we are praying for and what the kingdom of God really looks like?

Using the analogy of God as the director of the greatest show on earth, Richard Porter shows how the kingdom of God is the overarching story line throughout the Bible in his new book The Kingdom of God - The Director’s Cut. Each scene, from the people of Israel to Jesus and the early church, reveals kingdom truths that should impact the church today.

Richard Porter has taught Old Testament and Biblical Background subjects at Nazarene Theological College and Belfast Bible College. He and his wife now run the Moat Inn House of Prayer in Northern Ireland.

You had a rather unusual journey to faith; can you tell us a little about yourself and your faith path?

I was raised in Galesburg, Illinois. At the age of 18 I joined the US Navy for four years to avoid being drafted into the army. I didn't want to go to Vietnam and kill somebody. I wasn't religious but that is one thing I could never bring myself to do. My plan failed. I ended up working for the National Security Agency (NSA) and was always stationed on land bases. After two years serving in Japan, I spent the rest of my time in Vietnam and Thailand. I started using drugs and couldn't stop the downward spiral. When I received my discharge papers I ran away from everybody and everything. I bought two acres of land in Kansas and moved into an Indian tepee; isolated.

In 1975 God led me to a Christian house group and I committed myself to Jesus (you can read about it in the first chapter of my book). God miraculously delivered me from drugs and set me free. My whole life was turned around and I have never looked back. Since then God has taken me on a journey and it has been a good one. After serving with a Christian group in Israel for two years I was passing through Britain when God told me to stay. This was in 1985 and I have been in Britain ever since. I received my theology degree in Manchester and my master’s degree at Queen's University, Belfast. I was ordained an elder in the Church of the Nazarene and have served as an associate pastor for 22 years. During that time, I have also taught Old Testament subjects in two different University colleges.

I am now retired. My wife and I host and facilitate individuals and groups in our prayer home. I also serve as pastor emeritus in the Journey Church, located in Antrim, Northern Ireland. Among other things I write; I write articles for periodicals and have just finished my first book to be published by Authentic Media. I am still alive and well on planet earth and this is not the end of the story. I love Jesus Christ. I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and I am grateful for the grace and mercy God has shown me over the years. I rejoice in him! Yee-hah!

Why did you decide to write The Kingdom of God?

I wrote The Kingdom of God for a few reasons:

• It answers many of the questions I have asked over the years. I believe other people have been asking these same questions. Hopefully, this book will help them on their journey as it has helped me.
• I often need to see the big picture and understand things in context, not sound bites – this book does that for me, and I believe it will benefit others who are on the same wavelength.
• I believe the movie metaphor brings clarity to a rather nebulous, misunderstood subject.
• I believe this book describes an on-going revelation from God and I didn't want it to go to the grave with me.
• I believe discussions about the kingdom of God need clarification in the wider church. It needs to move beyond the academic and not relegated to the sweet by and by. This book frees the kingdom from these narrow outlets. Some say the kingdom of God is now and not yet. This is true to a point but the 'not yet' is probably because we don't fully understand or appreciate God's passion for the kingdom to be manifested on our streets and congregations right now.

Why are you so passionate about this subject?

I am passionate about this subject because it is the over-arching theme of the entire Bible and because Jesus is so passionate about it. It was the only gospel Jesus preached. I can't get away from this. It is number one on his prayer list and he told his disciples to put it at the top of theirs (Your kingdom come, etc.). I can't afford to shelve what God is passionate about. I can't claim to love and follow Jesus if I just give lip service to the things he loves, watches over, and desires above everything else.

Who have you written this book for?

First, I wrote the book for myself. I needed to put the puzzle together; to see if the pieces really fitted. Surprisingly, I have discovered many new pieces along the way; pieces I didn't even know were there. The book was a pilgrimage of discovery for me.

Second, I wrote the book for anyone who has read the Bible and didn't understand it. I wrote it for those who also hold a lot of pieces of the puzzle in their hand and don't know how to put the thing together.

You use the metaphor of God being the director of the greatest show on earth throughout the book. Why did you do this and what do you think it brings to the book?

I find most people have a love relationship with Hollywood and the BBC. We love to be entertained. The more I began to view Scripture through the lens of a movie production it made sense. It tied the whole narrative together for me. I also believe people can relate to it. Of, course only God himself could be the Director – who else is there? However, in the process I began to look at the Bible more through the eyes of God and not from my own perspective. It often sparked the question: 'What does God get out of this?' The kingdom is the greatest show on earth. God wants to reveal his heart through a community, a family, above any individual.

You say in the book that we pray in the Lord’s Prayer for God’s kingdom to come, but most of us don’t really know what that means. Why do you think that is?

This may be presumptuous, but I think for many it has become religious-speak, a spiritual cliché. It rolls off our tongue without really questioning what we are asking. Jesus told his disciples to pray it, so we pray. We've been praying this around the world every day for the last 2,000 years. Has God ever answered this prayer? If not, why not? I'm sure when we pray this that many are thinking about heaven, others about the second coming or the looming apocalypse. Others still, are probably thinking about a miraculous visitation from God with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I would agree with all of these interpretations, but they all lack one thing: the big picture.

We often launch our theological boat from a narrow stream, but water looks and behaves differently when that stream flows into the ocean. To understand the kingdom of God we need a theological telescope that can see the shore we left and the one we are heading towards. We also need a spiritual compass that shows us how far along we are in the journey. We tend to focus on the shore we left, or the shore we are heading towards, but we need to see where we are in the larger narrative.

What do you think makes this book different to other books on the subject?

What makes this book different from other books on this subject is its scope, its presentation and its mixed genres. The book is rich in theology but not written in academic language. It is intellectually accessible to all. The book is full of biographical illustrations couched in humour, but it is not light in inspiration, revelation, or information.

It is at times quite radical but always grounded in Scripture. The book will entertain and inform any person who reads it. In some places it is quite apologetic, and answers questions many people ask.

As for scope, the book rides a theme from Genesis to Revelation but ties it all together in the practical, here and now. Tracing the kingdom of God through history as a movie production adds to its originality and fun.

Why do you think it is so important for us to understand the overarching narrative of the whole Bible?

It's critical because that is the way God chose to reveal himself to us. Within the pages of the Bible he unmasks himself incrementally. He reveals his name at the burning bush. He shows his hand in the ten plagues. He exhibits his character and ways throughout the historical narratives. He clarifies his love through Jesus and his disciples. He gradually prepares us for the future via his prophets. The gift of the Bible, Old and New Testament, is the recorded history of God and his relationship to humanity. He wants us to know who he is and what he is like and what he is up to.

The revelation came in pieces as it was recorded in history, but it was handed to us as one complete package; the corpus of books we call the Bible. If we just concentrate on one piece of the revelation in isolation of all the others our understanding of God, his character and his ways will be lopsided, and incorrect.

God has a goal and purpose in everything he does. If we don't see the whole picture then what we do see is incomplete, random and doesn't honour God who gave it to us. The overarching narrative is the starting point for every Christian who wants to move God's story forward and not miss the point or travel down the wrong road.

What was the most challenging element of writing the book?

Stepping out of the boat and not drowning; staying on the right side of orthodoxy and not being stoned as a heretic (even by myself). I know certain elements of this book are radical, but they are biblically substantiated. The biggest challenge for me was being real and listening to the biblical voices we sometimes ignore because they don't sit comfortably within our theological narrative.

And what was the most rewarding element of writing this book?

When I finished writing page 383! However, the most rewarding element of writing this book is seeing that it actually works. It is worth reading. It honours God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit without being overtly religious. It answers many questions people ask and stumble over in a language and a metaphor they can understand. The most rewarding part of writing this book for me is that I like the final product. I am pleased and honoured to offer it to the Church.

Have you been reminded afresh about God while writing this book?

The one thing that has really moved me is how much God loves us. How patient he is with us, and how tenacious, steadfast and sacrificial he is to bless us in his kingdom. God wants to live on this earth with us!

What advice would you give to anyone who really wants to see God’s kingdom come in their local area?

You are not alone. So don't try to do it by yourself. The greatest show on earth is not a one-person production. God wants to reveal himself to the world through a community with him in the centre and our renowned love in the building and on the street. The world needs to see what we affirm and celebrate not what we picket and point the finger at. My advice:

• Grow in love.
• Make Christianity attractive. We can only do this through our love for each other and our practical, sacrificial love on the streets.
• Don't be too religious. The kingdom is about our love relationship with God and those around us.
• Don't let doctrine kill off your love and compassion for others who don't agree with you. Don't define people by their sin. Let God love them through you.
• Open the door of your heart to other denominations and Christian fellowships around you. Start thinking, "What can we achieve in the Holy Spirit together? What greater things can we accomplish with our shared wisdom and resources?” Ask Jesus to show you the first steps. They will be challenging and humbling, but if you say “yes” and step out of the boat you will be joyfully surprised how far he will take you and experience God's favour upon you.

What do you hope readers will most get out of reading this book?

God's vision for their place in the kingdom and what we are actually working towards. I also hope readers will be ignited to seek Jesus and his kingdom first; to put the kingdom at the top of our to-do list with the same passion Jesus put it at the top of his prayer list.

In one sentence, how would you describe The Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is a community; a corporate witness of who God is and what he is like because we have allowed him into the centre of the camp and aligned ourselves to his love and faithfulness.

Is there anything we can pray for you?

Thank you for asking. I often pray what Jesus prayed in John 17. Jesus said he glorified the Father by completing all that God called him to do. I have been praying this for years (I believe this book is part of the process). Lord, help me to complete all you've called me to do in this life in the time you have given me. I also want to write more books, and to have a heart of love like Jesus. I think the main thing Jesus will ask us when we first see him face to face is: 'Did you learn how to love?'

Order your copy of The Kingdom of God - The Director’s Cut by Richard Porter here.