On July 4, 2016, at the end of chemotherapy, I became a Canadian citizen. This gave me two passports. I was born a U.S. citizen and married into being a Canadian. This was not random: Paul says that “God he determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live” (Acts 17). My citizenship on earth is a God-given gift that must be stewarded for God’s glory.
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A U.S. passport gives me access to resources and networks and freedoms that 99% of the history of the world’s population could not dream of. Even in today’s politically charged climate, a U.S. passport carried by a regular U.S. citizen holds a weight and signifies a history and international power that is unmatched worldwide. And Canadians are loved by nearly everyone. Now I have both.
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Scenes from the life of the Apostle Paul flooded my mind during the citizenship ceremony:
“As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty? … Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately” (Acts 22).
Do you feel the weight of being a Roman in the time of Paul? Do you feel the weight of your earthly citizenship? How does God desire to use that power, that influence, that opportunity, that was given you?
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How will we steward this gift? We did not choose to be born in the USA or Canada. God gave us this gift. Will we keep this to ourselves or leverage this gift for God’s glory among the Nations?
Rob Karch 