Tourists (1 Peter 2:11-17 )

Heather was at Teen Camp last week. Just before that Susan, Heather and I were on holiday for a couple of weeks. We traveled through Cashe Creek, Prince George, Smithers, Quesnel, Merit, and other places. It was a lot of fun exploring our province. I was struck by how nice Smithers is. I was also struck by all the smoke with the fires going on. It was a good trip.

Our family has been on many good trips together. We went to The Salvation Army’s Boundless Celebrations in London years ago. We have visited Denmark, Susan and I have visited France, Susan and Sarah-Grace have been to Italy. We have been to Cuba as a family. We have been to the USA quite a bit – because it is so close.

We have noticed when we are traveling that many things have been accomplished by many people in all these different places. We like to stop and read plaques by the side of the road, visit museums, and look at monuments. It always strikes me when we visit the USA though that some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments are things that offend my Canadian sensibilities. Their values and interpretation of history are still a little different from ours.

But here is the thing I need to remember: when I am visiting, I am just a tourist. I can't vote in US elections. I can't change their laws or their culture. I don't have the rights of a US citizen and I shouldn't because I am not one. They are a foreign country. When I am there, I am a gracious guest; I am a tourist and I do not forget that I am no more than that.

It is similar in our life here on earth for Christians. We need to stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't, however, get drawn into things that have no relevance to his eternal kingdom. We need to serve Christ here while still remembering that we are just tourists in this time and place. We need to be gracious guests but never forget that our real citizenship, our allegiance, our hope and our future life is in Heaven.

Question: how can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world?

Read the scripture here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202%3A11-17&version=NIV

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Click here to read the original version published March 17, 2008:

https://salvogesis.blogspot.com/2018/03/1-peter-211-25-philippians-315-21.html

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