But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

– Philippians 3:7

I sometimes wonder what the apostle Paul felt about his citizenship, for Paul was a man with multiple citizenships. You probably know that his full name was Saul Paulus, a combination of Jewish and Roman heritage. Paul considered himself a Christian first, a Jew second, and a citizen of Rome third, but he was not above utilizing his legal status to avoid unjust persecution when the time was appropriate (Acts 22:25-29). So, Paul was a citizen of Rome, which meant his nation of legal standing was the very nation that had condemned Jesus to die and was guilty of innumerable offenses against God and humanity.

I am not a huge soccer fan, but I did tune in for a few of the World Cup matches in which the United States participated. It reminded me of my early childhood, when almost all of America tuned in each evening for two weeks every four years during the Olympic Games. It was a national phenomenon. Apparently, millions of Americans tuned in for the U.S. World Cup matches, but not as many as the networks were hoping for. It appears that many Americans just didn’t care, and I suspect it has much to do with our patriotism. Now, before you decry my unpatriotic ways, please know that I would not want to live permanently in any other nation in this world. I have lived in foreign countries and visited many others. Although there are wonderful things about almost all of them, and they are charming in many ways, in my book, America is still the best place to live. My father fought for over four years during WWII for our nation. My mother, along with millions of other American families, lived austere lives during those same years to help supply the war effort.  I have relatives who fought in Vietnam, and I myself visited a military recruiter when I was fresh out of graduate school to enquire about serving (multiple factors led me instead to law enforcement at that point in my life). I love America (or, at least, the America that was), but I find it hard at times to cheer for a nation that has changed in so many fundamental ways (some for the better, much for the worse).

So, back to Paul. What did he think about being a Roman citizen? There was much to admire about the Roman Empire: The most advanced public works, art, theatre, and an unparalleled military machine that brought with it over 200 years of relative peace to the world (the Pax Romana). Many of our modern laws are based on the Roman system of justice, including the majority of our democratic ideals. To be a Roman citizen meant something, and many were willing to pay large sums of money to acquire it (Acts 22:28). But Rome had a dark underside, like the gangly barnacles that live beneath a cruise ship’s waterline: Violence, injustice, blatant discrimination, torture, and a brutal system of slavery. In its waning years, laziness, gluttony, and apathy marked its society and led to its downfall.

The Bible does not tell us what Paul thought about his citizenship, but I sometimes wonder how I should feel about mine, given this nation’s rapid decline into moral relativism and its love affair with individual rights—rights which are open to a wide range of interpretations. All this has led in my lifetime to rampant pornography, abortion on demand, legalized...everything, horrible stewardship of government funds—to name just a few of our

“barnacles.” Sadly, some of these degradations are the very freedoms that make many Americans proud.

So, where do I land? I find myself landing where Paul landed; or at least seemed to land. Paul was a follower of Jesus Christ who embraced his Jewish heritage and utilized his Roman citizenship. I'm thankful to my father and my relatives and the millions of others who fought for this nation. I'm proud of the America that was, and I pray for the America that could be. I pay my taxes, and I do my best to honor our leaders. I want America to succeed, not fail. But I am a Christian first and an American second. My best take on Scripture tells me that that's how all believers in our nation should see things. While I align myself in this way, I thank God for his providence that caused me to be born in this nation in 1966. It has offered me, and millions of others, unfettered opportunity. It isn’t a perfect place, but it is a blessed place. Let’s pray that we do not utterly spoil that divine blessing.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym

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