The Kingdom of God Is Within You — Not in Buildings of Stone, Brick, Mortar, Glass, Wood, or the Vatican

For centuries, people have looked to grand cathedrals, temples, mosques, and religious headquarters like the Vatican as the visible symbols of faith. 

Their towering spires, ornate altars, and centuries-old rituals can feel awe-inspiring, even holy. 

But here’s a profound and often overlooked truth: the Kingdom of God is not confined to these structures.

Jesus himself made this clear, in Luke 17:20-21, when asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you.”

What does this mean?

It means that God’s presence is not locked away in brick and stone, mortar, glass or wood.

It’s not only accessed through ceremonies, or institutions. 

It’s not limited to, who controls the most beautiful buildings, the oldest traditions, or the most powerful religious offices. 

The true kingdom, the space where God reigns, is within your heart, your spirit, and your everyday life.

Buildings like churches, synagogues, temples, and yes, even the Vatican, can be places of community, learning, and worship. 

They can inspire reverence and help bring people together. 

But they are not God Himself. And they do not hold exclusive rights to His kingdom.

Infact the gothic exterior and interior should automatically tell your mind's eye that, God doesn't do Gothic.

The buildings of gothic architecture, the standing remnants of satanic statues and wayward documentations of past and  present eulogies, don't show the True and living God.

Too often, people fall into the trap of thinking that religious authority or sacred buildings are the only gateways to God. 

They may believe that only clergy or religious leaders carry the truth or that they need to visit certain places to be closer to the divine. 

But the radical, freeing truth of Jesus’ message is that God is accessible to each person, right where they are.

You don’t need to enter a cathedral to find peace, you don’t need to stand before a human priest or pope to seek forgiveness. 

You don’t need marble floors, stained glass, or gold ornaments to feel the presence of God.

The Kingdom of God is alive in love, compassion, justice, in humility, in the quiet moments when you pray, reflect, or reach out to help someone else. 

It is within you when you forgive, when you show kindness, when you live with integrity and courage.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that religious communities or traditions have no value, they can provide support, guidance, and a sense of shared purpose. 

But they are not the source of God, they are not the foundation of the kingdom.

So if you’ve ever felt distant from God because you don’t belong to a particular institution, or because you can’t visit certain holy places, or because you doubt whether human-made systems reflect divine truth, take heart. 

The kingdom is not “out there” it’s within you.

The sacred is not locked behind stone walls or under golden domes. 

It lives in the human heart, and soul, in the daily acts of love and truth that reflect the nature of God. 

And no institution, no matter how powerful, can control or contain that.