When I reflect on what citizenship means, I think of Ephesians 2:19: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”
I also think about what U.S. citizenship has meant to my mom.
My mother, Inge, loved America, long before she ever saw it or set foot within its borders. Although she was a citizen of Germany, she was subject to Nazi persecution. Indeed, her very life was in danger because of her Jewish heritage.
She was not permitted to continue attending school or to pursue higher education. Eventually, the persecution resulted in her father’s death, and members of her extended family were deported to concentration camps where they died.
Longing and Learning
During the difficult years of persecution and war, she longed for a new life of freedom and opportunity in America. After receiving her long-awaited immigration visa and coming to this country in 1955, she prepared for citizenship by learning about U.S. history and government. She practiced speaking English, and wanted to become as American as possible, to fully belong in her new homeland.
To my mother, U.S. citizenship meant safety, freedom, and the opportunity to pursue her goals and dreams on an equal footing with everyone else. Her U.S. passport was one of her most valued possessions. Even when she was over the age of 90 and unable to travel any longer, she insisted on keeping it up to date and valid.
Citizens of God’s Kingdom
As citizens of God’s kingdom, we have freedom in Jesus--freedom from sin, guilt, and shame. We receive the gift of opportunity to grow into all that God has created us to be. We are all on equal footing in the sight of God; we are all sinners who have been forgiven through Jesus and accepted by him.
We belong. We’re members of the household of God. We have a home in heaven, where we will belong for all eternity (Philippians 3:20-21). The God of heaven and earth calls us his own and promises he will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).
Do we see ourselves as citizens of God’s household? Do we study Scripture to learn and practice the ways of our new homeland, his kingdom?
May our hearts cherish our true citizenship with all the saints in the household of God!
Mitzi Rabe, RN, BSN, OCN, is a Staff Nurse in the Symptom Management Clinic at Rogel Cancer Center
Michigan Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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