Thursday, August 30, 2012

From Tragedy to Triumph - Strangers in a Strange Land

Ephesians 2:17-19 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.  Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.

The country of Myanmar (Burma) has systematically hunted down and killed ethnic minorities in their land for many years.  One Christian group, known as the Karen, began to be welcomed into the United States about a decade ago in large numbers.  Many of these refugees settled in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, and my family was privileged to help them when they arrived. We developed a friendship with one family that warmed our hearts.

When we met this family at the airport, they arrived with a single suitcase each and nothing else.  No money, no credit cards, no Starbucks coffee.  The city of St. Paul provided a small apartment and funds for necessities until they could get back on their feet.

I often wondered what their first night in our country was like.  They were hated and unwanted in the country of their birth.  In Thailand, where they lived in a refugee camp, they simply existed with thousands of other refugees. They could not work, own property, speak freey, or travel.  In America, on their first night, they were welcome here, but they didn't really belong.  They had no citizenship papers or money.  They had no household with comfortable furniture, no food in the refrigerator, and no welcoming party at their apartment complex.  Essentially, they existed and not much else.

Years later, this couple is employed, has two children, and is thriving in their new home.  They are American citizens, and their home is filled with delicious food, the chatter of excited children, and many friends.

I think sometimes that the Lord gives us little glimpses into what the kingdom of heaven is really like.  For Americans, sometimes it's difficult to understand the hopelessness that accompanies the one that is far from God.  Perhaps our affluence, comfort, and security is a curse that prevents many from experiencing the joy of citizenship in God's kingdom and being welcomed into his house.

Remember this...you are blessed.  For once you cross the line of faith and embrace a relationship with Jesus, you are a citizen and you are welcome in the house of God.  There is a great mansion in the sky being built for you and the activities in that mansion will one day be pure and beautiful worship of our savior.

Yes, things are nice here, but let's all get a little perspective.  Something better is coming.  We just have to see it for what it really is.

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