Kingdom of Heaven

So I was watching a movie and I began to wonder...what would the Kingdom of Heaven really be like?

For some people, it seems like the kingdom would be one in which they (through God, of course) are in control...but I'm a firm believer in the old cliché that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Of course one only need to look to the current American government to find this rule lived out. It doesn't matter if those striving for "the Kingdom of God" are Jews, Muslims, or Christians...it all turns out the same. The people just trying to live right and stay out of the way get blown to bits by those who are sure they're fighting for God.

I guess if you think about it, this is one of the subtexts of the Christian stories about the life of Jesus...as the mystics say, "the white fire burns as brightly as the black." If Jesus were truly considered the messiah by his followers, then he would have been seen as a military leader...he would have been one of the terrorists the Romans were fighting...one of the sicari, and a bit of a revolutionary war hero...like Che Guevara or Michael Collins. Maybe that's why he's associated with men carrying swords (one of the few stories in 3 of the gospels...Mt 26, Mk 14, & Jn 18) and men who are even identified as a sicari (Judas and those he was crucified with).

So I guess I'm wondering...do I really want to see the Kingdom of Heaven? I guess that all depends on who the Hand of the King is.