Balancing Earthly and Heavenly Allegiances as Exiles

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
Augustine of Hippo

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

“I have but one passion: to enlighten that tiny spot of earth where I was brought into the world.”
Michel de Montaigne

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.”
Oscar Wilde

As an immigrant who has chosen to make America my home, I cannot help but be awestruck by the promise and potential of this nation. At its core, America represents a bold experiment in human liberty and self-governance, unlike anything the world had seen before. The founders risked everything for the revolutionary ideal enshrined in the Declaration of Independence: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” This audacious notion that human beings have inherent God-given rights and that government exists to protect those rights rather than dispense them was truly earth-shattering. America became a beacon of liberty, drawing immigrants from every corner of the globe who yearned to breathe free. That spirit of freedom, that insistence that each individual has dignity and worth simply by their humanity, makes America great. It allowed people of all backgrounds and creeds to come together, united by a civic creed rather than tribal loyalties. It fostered a culture of industriousness, courage in the face of adversity, and boundless optimism that anything is possible through hard work. America’s commitment to freedom, however imperfect, catalyzed incredible scientific and technological progress, economic abundance, and influence that reshaped the world. At its best, American culture celebrated human ingenuity and the constant pursuit of improving our circumstances. We became a nation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and dreamers reaching for the stars. The same Puritan work ethic that caused the early settlers to carve communities out of the wilderness fueled an economic dynamo that raised living standards to once unimaginable heights.

The Perils of Human Arrogance
And yet, for all the wonders freedom unleashed, America’s story is also one of human folly, a sobering reminder that our greatest strengths can also be our greatest weaknesses if left unrestrained. The arrogance, materialism, and polarization afflicting America today demonstrate that even a nation blessed with such profound wisdom can still stray from righteousness. Too often, America’s understandable pride in its accomplishments has curdled into a smug self-righteousness and belief that our way of life is intrinsically superior to all others. We deceive ourselves when we forget the humble admonition of Proverbs 16:18 (ESV) “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Our founding ideals were bold, but they did not make Americans themselves inherently more virtuous than any other people. In our arrogance, we have often failed to live up to the sacred covenant enshrined in America’s founding documents. The words of 1 John 1:8 echo down the centuries: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (ESV). Even today’s incredible material abundance masks a deeper cultural sickness of rampant consumerism, desensitization, and obsession with earthly pleasures. We are indeed blessed to be a prosperous nation, but as Christ warns in Luke 12:15 (ESV), “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Our wealth, if not tempered by spiritual discipline and gratitude to God, becomes a snare that breeds entitlement, indulgence, and emptiness.

The Necessity of National Wisdom and Temperance
We must resist the temptation of self-righteousness and heed the wisdom of Proverbs 18:17 (ESV) “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.” For all the imperfections and shortcomings plaguing the American experiment, this nation remains a bright hope for humanity. The founding ideals of human equality, liberty, and self-government remain as inspirational as ever, even if our application of them has been inconsistent. The promise and potential that draw immigrants like me cannot be extinguished so long as we cling to the enduring truths embedded in our founding. At our best, America taps into the uplifting message of Galatians 3:28 (ESV) “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Our strength is e pluribus unum—out of many, one. A united people bonded not by race or creed but by fidelity to eternal truths that recognize the dignity and value of every human soul. Yet even as we celebrate America’s promise, we must be sober about the flaws and failures that could imperil it. Perhaps most corrosive of all is the rising tide of toxic polarization turning Americans against one another in a rancorous, zero-sum quest to impose our particular vision by any means necessary. We have allowed the divisions of this fallen world to infect us and undermine the uniting national creed that made the American experiment possible in the first place. I am certainly not blind to America’s many flaws and failures, yet I choose to make this nation my home because I believe this is a place where those God-given ideals can be worked out more fully than anywhere else. As such, I choose to “seek the welfare of the city...and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare” (Jeremiah 29:7, ESV). Paul also echoed the call for prayer when he wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV), “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.”

Our True Allegiance: Citizens of Heaven
While we may rightly take pride in being American, and in the profound liberties this nation has secured, we must never lose sight of our higher calling and true allegiance. As sojourners in this fallen world, our citizenship ultimately belongs to the eternal Kingdom of God. All earthly nations and powers are temporary, but the sovereign reign of our Lord is everlasting. When the Pharisees sought to entrap Jesus, He provided an answer that transcended the petty political disputes of the day. In Matthew 22:17, the Pharisees and the Herodians asked Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” They prefaced their question with praise and flattery in an attempt to disarm Jesus and make Him more likely to give an unguarded response. However, Jesus, being aware of their motives, asked them to show Him a denarius, the coin used to pay the tax, and then asked them, “‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ Then He said to them, ‘Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s’” (Matthew 22:19-21, ESV). While we are to obey earthly authorities where they hold sway, our devotion and obedience to God must take preeminence. This is a difficult balance to strike for those of us who cherish the American democratic experiment. We have been imbued with a sense of civic participation and working to bend our institutions toward righteousness. And yet, we must be cautious that we do not slip into the seductive idolatry of nationalism by putting our nation on a pedestal and pursuing earthly power as an end unto itself. Such arrogance breeds the very oppression and injustice our Founding ideals aimed to abolish. The Kingdom of God is not of this world, and we as its citizens must hold our earthly loyalties loosely. Christ’s words in John 18:36 should cause us to pause: “My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting...” (ESV). How easily we become entangled in this world’s conflicts, passions inflamed by rival agendas and trivial political skirmishes. Yet, Christ calls us to a higher reality, one not defined by the temporary allegiances and power struggles of earthly realms. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12). When we lose sight of this truth, investing ourselves fully in this world’s fading glories, we risk exchanging our heavenly purpose for passing vanities. Let us be sober-minded, keeping concentrated on the true fight, the struggle against sin, and the advancement of God’s Kingdom purposes. All else will prove but dust in the wind. While we may strive to have a positive influence in our nation, ours is a higher calling. This means living as ambassadors and exiles, laboring in service to the coming Kingdom while resisting too much entanglement with the powers of this present darkness. “Do not be conformed to this world,” Paul exhorts in Romans 12:2 (ESV), “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Our minds and hearts must remain fixed on the eternal, even as we seek to be faithful sojourners. In the end, our hope does not reside in any earthly nation, movement, or political project, but in the return of the King and the restoration of all things. As the book of Revelation promises, the day will come when all earthly powers and authorities are swept away, “The kingdom of the world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15, ESV). So while we may love our country and are grateful for the blessings of liberty, let us cling to the truth of Philippians 3:20 (ESV) “Our citizenship is in Heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” May we be faithful citizens of that heavenly Kingdom above all else, and may the light of that allegiance serve as a city on a hill for all the world to see.

The Higher Patriotism of Faith
My fellow sojourners, the paradox we must embrace is that while we may justly love our earthly nation, our supreme devotion and patriotism must be to the coming Kingdom of God. We are Americans, yes, but more importantly we are citizens of heaven itself. This means living by a different code, one of humility, integrity, and unwavering commitment to God’s truth rather than the vain philosophies of this present age. It means being willing to speak unpopular words when our nation strays from righteousness, just as the biblical prophets did. It means being pillars of light in an increasingly dark world, beckoning others to the eternal hope that lies beyond. Will you join me in this higher patriotism? In an allegiance to a Kingdom not defined by human borders, but by the unshakable reality of God’s sovereign grace? The road will not be easy, and it will require turning away from earthly enticements in pursuit of an eternal prize. But take heart, our struggle is a path walked by believers in every nation under heaven. We labor not alone, but in the strength of the One whose Kingdom will have no end. So, children of the living God, I challenge you to hold your earthly loyalties loosely. Love your nation, and work tirelessly to see it reformed in light of biblical truth. But never equate any earthly nation with the unshakable Kingdom. We are but pilgrims here. Our holiest devotion and most fervent patriotism must be for the reign of the Son, whose return will establish peace and healing for all peoples at last. In that assurance, we march forth boldly as a nation within every nation as bearers of a light that cannot be overcome.