Finding the Kingdom of God at Camp

So much has been cancelled this year because of COVID-19. At first, I thought that all summer camps weren’t going to happen any more. But I’m so thankful that even though overnight camps aren’t allowed, Camps with Meaning has found a way to hold some alternative camping options. Because of this, Jessica and I are currently at Camp Assinaboia, where I have the privilege of being the camp pastor for this week of day camps.

There’s no doubt that camp feels different. We keep distance, sanitize often, and wear masks when indoors. We’re humming along to music instead of singing, we’re eating all our meals outside, and we’re keeping a constant eye on any kids or staff who develop symptoms. The anxiety of COVID-19 has been felt from the beginning, but I’m amazed at how camp leadership has been able to innovate in order to open up their space to kids this summer.

Camps hold such a special place in my heart, largely because a significant amount of my personal and spiritual growth happened while I was at camp. When I found out that we would be able to go as a family this summer, I jumped on the opportunity. For me, camps are a unique place wherein we get to experience a manifestation of the kingdom of God.

What do I mean? What does it look like? Let me begin with Jesus.

Depending on how we group them, there are between 30-40 parables of Jesus recorded in the gospels. Many of them were difficult for Jesus’s audience to understand, either because of their interpretation (what Jesus is trying to say) or implication (what Jesus is actually asking of us). Packed into those short stories are images and metaphors that help us make sense of very difficult topics - like the kingdom of God. But where exactly do we see or live into this kingdom? What does it look like? How do we get there?

“The kingdom of God is the domain of God, owned and sustained by Him, in which those who live in it submit to His authority. ”

First of all, any kingdom is characterized by the person or group that rules it. The kingdom of God is the domain of God, owned and sustained by Him, in which those who live in it submit to His authority. This kingdom transcends the barriers of time, space, nationality, and culture. That means that the kingdom of God becomes visible in any place around the world that declares Jesus to be king and strive to live in submission to Him.

Matthew 13 contains a large chunk of Jesus’s parables that describe what the kingdom is like. In one of the parables, Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a field. The owner plants good wheat seed in it only to be ambushed by an enemy who plants bad seed amongst the good. When the plants start to grow, the servants are confused and ask if they should pull up the weeds. But the owner tells them to leave it until the harvest, because if they tried to pull the weeds now, they might mistakenly pull up some of the wheat in the process.

This parable tells us that God’s kingdom belongs to a God who is actively involved in its care and growth. Although we’re invited to be workers in God’s garden, judgment between the weeds and wheat isn’t up to us. Creating boundaries isn’t our job. Our job is to take care of the garden by loving our neighbours and enemies. God will deal with the wheat and the weeds in the end. There’s always hope that what we think might be weeds might actually turn our to be wheat. 

Another parable compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, or yeast in dough. A tiny mustard seed can grow into a huge tree, and a little yeast can make a whole batch of dough rise. In the kingdom of God, the smallest gifts and actions can have huge impacts. In fact, we may never know the effects our actions may have in the world because it is God who takes care of the growing. All we are called to do is offer our small piece and God will do the rest.

Yet another parable compares the kingdom of God to a valuable treasure that someone found in a field. Immediately, they sell everything they have in order to buy the field and own the treasure. The value of God’s kingdom is unmatched and worth giving up everything to have. Once someone finds it, it becomes their life’s priority.

I experience the kingdom of God at camp all the time, and this week was no exception. I watched as kids from all walks of life came each day and were welcomed by staff with as diverse a background as them. The kids’ race, age, skill, or excitement level did not matter - at camp we all come together as one community, willing to meet each other where we’re at. Some kids were definitely more difficult to deal with than others, but regardless of our frustration levels with them, our goal was to see each kid leave camp knowing they are uniquely created and loved by God.

As I observed the many staff and volunteers that were at camp this week, I thought about how this ministry could never happen with just one or two of them. It only worked because many people gave their gifts, as small as they might be, which God then used to grow into something huge. Just like the mustard seed, at camp we are aware that even a little interaction can have a big impact in someone’s life, not because of our own ability, but because of God’s ability to grow what is given into something huge.

Lastly, I got to know some amazing leaders who gave up parts of their summer, including other work opportunities, in order to participate at camp. For so many, camp has become a place that we treasure. Moreover, the community that is built here is something that people will remember forever because of the way it invites us in and shapes us. Camp is worth a sacrifice, because in the end, we have something much more valuable.

Camp isn’t the only community wherein we can encounter God’s kingdom. It’s also not perfect - but then again, no manifestation of the kingdom of God here on Earth can be. I’m thankful that we still got to experience it this year. It’s so good to be in a place filled with followers of Jesus who are giving their time and gifts in service of the King. Even as we prepare to leave after a full and tiring week, I’m looking forward to the time when we will return once again.