The Tension of Dual Citizenship

At first glance, it seems like a question of allegiance; am I loyal to my country or not? The assumption here is unquestioning support of all of our country’s policies and practices both foreign and domestic. The war in Iraq, a tax structure that favors unbridled corporate expansion at the expense of small business, while poor families live without adequate healthcare and children go without food; if I’m going to be a good citizen, I have to either embrace or tolerate (read, “look-the-other-way”) these and many other current realities.

My more conservative brothers and sisters seem to want to wrap the Church in an American flag and declare the U.S. a Christian Nation whose only problem is simply remembering our spiritual heritage and returning to those roots; like a Prodigal nation-state coming home. Such a scenario, incidentally (or maybe intentionally) would restore the Church to a position of cultural and political power.

I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

I’m not sure it’s that simple.

I’m not sure it’s Biblical.

On the other side of the aisle (in the Church and in Congress), my more liberal brothers and sisters want to separate the spiritual from the political. They want to throw out the bathwater of violence, hatred, racism and suffering inflicted on society in the name of Religion. And with it, all that is good; the transformational, healing power of love, grace, forgiveness and peace that the “Baby” Jesus brought into the world.

I’m not sure that’s a good thing either.

I’m not sure it’s that simple.

I’m not sure it’s Biblical.

Honest, thinking, American followers of Jesus find themselves in a difficult situation these days. We have dual citizenship. We enjoy the huge privilege of living in a wonderful country that has, for a long time, enjoyed God’s blessing. But that citizenship is secondary. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus was not being poetic or engaging in meaningless hyperbole when He spoke of a Kingdom. And he wasn’t talking about a distant place we go to when we die; He spoke of a Kingdom that was “near,” and “among you.” What makes all this difficult is that sometimes the values and purposes of these two kingdoms collide.

Like right now.

One kingdom supports wanton, corporate greed. The other calls its citizens to generosity and sacrifice. One Kingdom would seek to extract every last ounce of resources from our planet. The other calls for stewardship and sustainability. One kingdom fights relentlessly for the protection of the unborn (a noble and just fight) while giving tacit support to a foreign policy of unilateral military intervention to confront perceived threats to our national security…a policy that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of innocent people. The other kingdom demands to know why we’re so vocal about fighting the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan, but so quiet about the genocide in the Sudan and Congo. Is the terror facing the Darfuri people any less important than the terror we faced on 9/11?

What’s a Dual Citizen to do?

Please forgive me if it seems like I’m being too simplistic. I realize my argument so far seems to create an “either/or” dichotomy. I know its not that simple. I’m just trying to make the point that we need to think critically and act strategically as followers of Jesus.

The election season is upon us, and with it comes a chance to act. So let’s act like good citizens. This is not a “get-out-and-vote” brochure. Its a call to exercise our responsibility to be wise and active participants in a political and social process that, while flawed, is still the best “flawed” system ever devised.

Personally, I’m trying to do five things I believe show proper respect for the freedom I’ve been given both as an American Citizen and as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.

I’m trying to be as well-informed as I can about the issues that impact our world. Notice I didn’t say the issues that “affect me.” Kingdom citizens accept the fact that its not all about us; we understand that we have a greater responsibility than just lowering taxes and restoring prayer in the public schools. So…I read, listen, think, and discuss issues with those who support and those who oppose my ideas.

I’m trying to be Biblically rooted. I re-read the Old Testament prophets (highly political, by the way!) and I’m re-re-reading the Gospels; all in an attempt to better understand from a Scriptural perspective what God’s agenda is.

I’m trying to order my thinking and my actions around a clear sense of Christian (though maybe not American) mission. In this context, answering the question, “what would Jesus do?’ is probably the best thing a Follower could do. When applied to the host of important issues these days, the answers will probably be difficult, but then Jesus warned us about this.

I’m trying to be constructively engaged. Active, nonviolent protests and boycotts can be good things, but coming up with alternatives to injustice and bad policies is better. So I vote, but I also volunteer my time and energy in initiatives and activities that serve the public good.

And I pray for a spirit of humility. Let’s face it, this is all heady stuff we’re talking about here. Wielding power is a risky business; whether its political or religious, power is like nuclear energy. It has enormous potential for good or evil depending on the motive of those controlling it. As much as I admire and respect Washington, Jefferson, King, Dobson and many others, I’ve never found a more compelling example than that of Jesus…who…

“…though he was God…did not demand and cling to his rights as God. He made himself nothing, he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in human form. And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Posted on October 1, 2006 12:00 AM