The twelfth day of Christmas remembers St. John Neumann. He was the first Bishop in the US and is the saint of immigrants.
Devotion:
We are back in the "faith hall of fame" for today's Scripture. Whereas last time, we focused on the end of this passage, where people suffered for their faith, today, we will be focusing on the beginning of the chapter.
The first seven verses are really provided for context since we'll mainly focus on the theme of being a stranger in verses 8-16. Abraham left his home and left for a strange land. He lived "like a stranger in a foreign country". He (as well as Isaac and Jacob) lived in tents, even as they looked forward to living in a city built by God. These patriarchs of the faith were still living by faith when they died. Even though they saw (and welcomed) the promise from a distance, they did not receive what they were promised. They admitted that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. They were looking for a country of their own, not the country they left, but a better, heavenly country. God prepared a city for them.
O Holy Night is one of my favorite Christmas carols. Once more, I was surprised that a version of this song has different choruses each time. I really like how the message progresses through the choruses as well as the verses. We start with Jesus' birth in a sinful world providing a thrill of hope. Our response to Jesus' birth should be falling to our knees in worship and submission. Verse two describes the wise men finding Jesus (granted, they found Him in a house, not still in that manger) and the second chorus describes how Jesus knows our needs and is not a stranger to our weakness. When we see Him, we should bow before Him. The third and final verse reminds us that Jesus taught us to love one another. Love is His law and Peace is His gospel. This verse proclaims that Jesus will break chains because the slave is our brother and all oppression will cease in Jesus' name. So we will praise Him. The final chorus declares that Christ is the Lord, we should praise Him and proclaim His glory and power.
There are so many good truths in today's Scripture and song that fit with our theme of immigrants. When we become Christians, we are becoming citizens in a heavenly kingdom. The world may not issue us a passport for "citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven" and may insist on using our worldly passport, but we are no longer primarily Americans, Russians, or Greeks first; we are citizens of heaven. That means we are promoting and working for the good of our heavenly kingdom instead of for our earthly nations. As citizens of heaven, we should be working to free the slaves as well as end oppression and injustice, both in our countries of origin and around the world.
As a Christian who has lived both in the US and in a foreign country, I can see ways the Church in America is trying to serve both God and country, even when their priorities are diametrically opposed. We say in one breath that we are Christians before we are Americans, but then we go off on how America is the greatest country and we need to buy American and support America first. To be a Christian BEFORE we are Americans means to support our brothers and sisters around the world as we prioritize God's work and His kingdom OVER our earthly nation. The Empires of this world never are bothered when Christians support the work of the Empire over the Kingdom of God. The Empires are furious when Christians focus on God's Kingdom over man's Empires. Securing our rights is not a biblical precept. If we don't care about those who are hungry, oppressed, or hurting around the world, we are not embodying the love of Christ (see 1 John 3:17). If we are focused on "America First" and have no compassion for those suffering around the world until no one is struggling in our own country, then we are making it clear which kingdom we are prioritizing, and it isn't God's Kingdom.
Do we prioritize God's kingdom above our earthly nations? Based on how we spend our time, money, and prayers, which are we putting first?
Which is our primary identity? Are we "American Christians" or "Christians who happen to live in America"?
What are we doing to further the Kingdom of Heaven in our country of origin and around the world?
Are we more comfortable with fellow Americans (who may not be Christian) or fellow Christians (who may not be American)? Why is that?
Are we reaching across cultural and national boundaries to our brothers and sisters in different cultures and countries?
Do we view ourselves as strangers, foreigners, and sojourners in this world or is our identity firmly in our country of origin?
How many people do you know, and are friends with, who are not born in the same country as you? What can you do to intentionally cultivate more friendships with immigrants (and refugees) in your community?
What would it look like to live like an immigrant in your own country?
Challenge:
Find a local immigrant-run business to support. Eating delicious food from around the world is a small sacrifice to make on our part. :-)
Offer friendship to an immigrant. Host a foreign exchange student or an international student.
Find intercultural events to participate in (when we aren't in a pandemic). Attend with an attitude of learning and a posture of humility.
Read a book or watch a video about an immigrant's story.
Take time to ponder your answers to the questions above. Consider which ones made you mad and why that was the case. Go beyond your knee-jerk reactions of insisting you prioritize God's kingdom over your country. Look at your actions, your spending, your prayers, and your words. What priority do they show?
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