Dual citizenship
The Washington National Cathedral. Photograph by Joshua Tsu via Unsplash
Rev. John Zehring
A discussion group in which I participated swerved off topic to bemoan the current state of our political affairs: rapid-fire changes to government departments, defiance of court orders by the Trump administration, threats and attacks on those who disagree with the President, deportation of people to other lands, undermining of best practices in health and science, destruction of the encouragement of diversity and inclusion in society, control of the media’s message, devastation of academic freedom, alienating the nation’s friends and siding with the nation’s enemies, poor choices in international diplomacy, economic decisions that defy the experts’ analyses… the list multiplies with every newscast. It did not take long for the discussion participants to sink into despair. I recognize that almost half the country feels the opposite, but our group felt a unity of hopelessness.
This “America First” campaign feels in stark contrast to the Christian view of God who so loves the world. The talk turning more serious about taking Greenland, making Canada our nation’s 51st state, “taking back” the Panama Canal, turning Gaza into a US resort, and the presidents of Russia and the United States considering the future of Ukraine without consulting Ukraine – it made some in our group feel like our nation has become the bad guys. Some in my group questioned whether they ought to consider moving to another country. They’re not alone. Reuters reported in November 2024 that “Google searches for ‘move to Canada’ surged 1,270% in the 24 hours after U.S. East Coast polls closed…company data shows. Similar searches about moving to New Zealand climbed nearly 2,000% while those for Australia jumped 820%. Late Wednesday evening on the U.S. East Coast, Google searches about emigrating were hitting all-time highs for all three countries, according to a Google official.” Searching for information does not necessarily mean people will take action to seek a different citizenship, but the large numbers indicate that many are rethinking their citizenship.
As my discussion group reached a sense of hopelessness, the mood changed when we considered that we possess dual citizenship as Christians. We are citizens of the United States of America and we are also citizens of the Kingdom of God. In the gospels, the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven are mostly used interchangeably. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians (3:20): “But our citizenship is in heaven…” When Jesus was compared to the world’s monarchs, he replied “My kingdom does not belong to this world. If my kingdom belonged to this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” (John 18:36).
The Christian lives in two kingdoms: the world’s and God’s. One is temporal, the other is spiritual. The Christian has dual citizenship. The Christian citizen must be involved in the needs and affairs of this world, but their rootedness, identity, and priority are centered in the kingdom of God. Our true allegiance and ultimate hope lie beyond the earthly political systems and leaders. No matter how chaotic or troubling the world may seem, our primary identity is as members of God’s kingdom. While earthly rulers may cause harm, destruction, or frustration, God is ultimately in control. As the hymn reminds us, “This is my Father's world: O let me ne'er forget / That though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the Ruler yet.”
The Christian has dual citizenship. The Christian citizen must be involved in the needs and affairs of this world, but their rootedness, identity, and priority are centered in the kingdom of God.
Both kingdoms call for our allegiance, although Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount made clear which flag flies highest: “…seek first the kingdom of God…” (Matthew 6:33). To recognize dual citizenship calls for our loyalty and labor for both kingdoms. By this measure, we need to continue working for, speaking on behalf of, and standing with the most marginalized of fellow citizens, even if our nation’s leaders seek the opposite.
Our allegiance to God’s kingdom is something Christians pray for in their most popular prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” In the study of the Bible, these phrases are known as an example of parallelism. That is, both mean approximately the same thing. One phrase explains, clarifies, or amplifies the other. And so, it can be interpreted that God’s kingdom is where God’s will is done. Those who seek God’s will enter into the gates of God’s kingdom, on earth as it is in heaven. By Jesus’ teachings, God’s will is found desiring the highest and best interest of others, even our enemies. It is found in words like forgiveness, mercy, grace, kindness, and love. For all. Lift up the word all. God’s way is a way of inclusion and diversity.
Martin Luther King, Jr. proclaimed in a fictional letter from the apostle Paul to American Christians in 1956, “You have a dual citizenry. You live both in time and eternity; both in heaven and earth. Therefore, your ultimate allegiance is not to the government, not to the state, not to nation, not to any man-made institution. The Christian owes his ultimate allegiance to God, and if any earthly institution conflicts with God’s will it is your Christian duty to take a stand against it. You must never allow the transitory evanescent demands of man-made institutions to take precedence over the eternal demands of the Almighty God.”
Many have observed that Jesus had no political control over the Roman Empire, and he still changed the entire world. We keep trying to change the world the way the Roman Empire did, instead of the way Jesus did. And so, when we engage in discussion groups or conversations with others and find ourselves in dismay over the fast-coming awful changes in our nation against people and institutions, let us remember that we as Christian citizens have dual citizenship, and the one gives us hope for the redemption of the other. Martin Luther King, Jr., against a mountain of disappointments that would have caused most of us to give up, encouraged Christian citizens: “We must accept the finite disappointment, but in spite of this we must maintain the infinite hope.”
Rev. John Zehring has served United Church of Christ congregations for 22 years as a pastor in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Maine. He is the author of more than 30 books and e-books. His most recent book from Judson Press is “Get Your Church Ready to Grow: A Guide to Building Attendance and Participation.”
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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