This past Sunday at Hyde Park Baptist Church, we finished our sermon series titled, “Exiles.” As we considered what it really means to be exiles in our country and world, four of our congregation gave outstanding testimonies about what God had taught them and how God had changed them. One of those was from our sister, Mindy. This particular testimony is a wonderful example of what it means to have a biblical view of being an American citizen in uncertain days.
My Identity as a Kingdom Citizen Changes My Perspective on Exile Life
I have always been a very patriotic American citizen. I’m thankful for the pledges to the American flag and the Christian flag that I’ve said all my life, for songs of America and God’s grace on our nation, for my 9th grade Government & Economics teacher that inspired such enthusiasm in me that I would have willingly marched to war after class. I’m thankful for my family members who have served in our military in the past and those in my family serving currently. I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to encourage Christian citizens to call our Senators/Representatives to speak up for truth and for the opportunities to work in the voting polls as an “election official”.
Early last year when the pandemic was no longer just an international problem, but also a U.S. problem, I remember feeling shocked and embarrassed to realize that in my heart, somehow that nationalism and patriotism had become intertwined with my faith. I’ve based some of my life security on the nation I live in and the safety I can expect here or the option to be rescued out of any international conflict because I am an American citizen. I saw the United States as the current Israel of God & had developed confidence in our nation. But I suddenly realized what national insecurity and an unraveling country felt like and had to realize that if I view the U.S. as the current Israel, then it’s easy to see the U.S. shaking and wonder if God is shaking.
So, all during 2020, in so many ways, God was asking me: where is your faith and trust placed? I had to stare these questions in the face. God began to teach me that while I want my vote to count, I’m never electing a spiritual leader to shepherd my heart. Instead I’m electing a person to lead a human government.
He taught me throughout Scripture God’s people have served as leaders in kingdoms- kingdoms that were not Godly and were not spiritually ok: Mordecai, Esther, and Nehemiah served in the Medes/Persian empire, Daniel -who we’ve been talking about in this series- served under several kings in Babylon and Persia, and Joseph served under the king of Egypt. All the prophets (including Jeremiah and Ezekiel in this sermon series), John the Baptist, and even Jesus ministered in the middle of countries and national leaders who were full of moral ruin.
Jesus said in John 18:36, “… ‘I am not an earthly king. If I were, my followers would have fought when I was arrested by the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.’ ”
So often we as believers say, This or that is going on and is so terrible, BUT GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL. Of course that statement is true, but it can sound like doom and gloom with a positive reminder tacked on to the end. Why do I say this like there was a doubt that maybe He wasn’t in control or maybe had lost His grip? What does this show about how I view the Kingdom? Do I see God as just King in the past or just King in the future? Do I see Him as King right now?
I’ve been blown away over the last few months by the descriptions all throughout Psalms like Psalm 11:3-4 of Jesus as King established, comfortably seated and unruffled on His throne. He is not going to move and He is forever in charge.
We’ve learned in this sermon series about Daniel and that knowing and holding on to our identity helps us to stay true, engage with the world, and live in the reality of God’s faithfulness. Knowing our identity as Kingdom citizens changes our perspective on Exile Life and really pulls the fear out of exile life.
Hebrews 11 and 13 says that God’s people have always been “foreigners” and “nomads here on earth” and that “this world is not our home”. That’s exile language. Philippians 3:20 says that “… we are citizens of heaven…”- that city we were learning about in Ezekiel and Revelation last week- the “heavenly city” with “eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” as Hebrews 11 describes it.
I haven’t gone from being a patriotic American to suddenly not caring about what is happening in my country. I haven’t painted everything cheery. But I don’t feel the scare factor of: things have never been this bad or will the church/God’s people survive? If our country has to go into a time of punishment or if our whole country falls apart, God is not scrambling. God is the King of His unshakeable Kingdom and there is no need for me to worry. He is at work impacting our current reality to carry out His plans. I’m a citizen of God’s Kingdom and my part is to obey Him. With an exile identity, I can experience joy even if/when the government is not a God-honoring government and when I don’t feel at home.
I feel like God has had me in the science lab and has been mixing so many things together to produce a reaction- an explosion in my worldview. God has set me free. He has given me comfort and peace amidst a pandemic, amidst an election, amidst travel and plan changes, an economic downturn, social upheaval, and even the death of some people I love.
If God has said we are more important to Him than birds or flowers, if He has promised to provide for us, if all our days are in His hands (Luke 12), if He is our Good Shepherd, if He is our King… “If [He] is all those things to [us], [we are] going to be ok.”