American or Kingdom Citizen
The German magazine Der Spiegel reports evidence that the National Security Agency has been spying on German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cell phone since 2002.
God help us all.
Angela Merkel has long proven herself to be among the world’s finest national leaders. And she’s one of my heroes.
The revelation that my country has been tapping her cell phone–along with earlier revelations in France, and now Spain, and who knows how many more national leaders and citizens whose victimization haven’t yet been revealed–is a shock, and I am left ashamed of my own country’s betrayal of our closest allies.
It reinforces to me the fact that no earthly nation is without shame.
And it compels me to take ever more seriously the biblical statement in Philippians 3:20 to believers that “our citizenship is in heaven.” Though I will fly an American flag on national holidays, I am only secondarily an American. I have dual citizenship, and I am primarily a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
That is one place without shame, without corruption.
Every person who is a genuine follower of Christ will have–or at least be offered–the same status: dual citizenship, with the primary loyalty to the Kingdom of God.
However badly my country or yours may behave, if you are in the Kingdom, you have a higher identity. That’s good news.
Photo credit: The Guardian
I remember that few years back, Ex Indian President DR. APJ Abdul Kalam was put through double security scanning at the JFK airport. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam was one of the most honest, humble and noble leaders of India and he was requested to remove his jacket and shoes for a second screening after he boarded the aircraft. Of course he co-operated. Now that’s a huge insult to a country and her leader. Indians were infuriated and America later apologized. How would America maintain friendly relationships with other countries with this kind of fear? The root cause of all this spying and security of other country leaders is fear following the 9/11 attack. I love America but I really don’t think that the fear that America is living with today is healthy. God can never be the root of fear. Praying for America to get rid of her fear and move forward with courage. As you rightly said, all governments have a weakness, and thank God we are members of a better Kingdom.
Now the NSA not only refuses to apologize, it is actually defending this practice as being normal and foundational to what they do. Unbelievable.
Am I glad to be a Christian first and an American second.