“To grow up in Christ will make you maladjusted to the world. In Paul’s day, Roman citizenship was the platinum standard. As a Roman citizen he was distinct, privileged and protected. Though Roman citizenship was the premium of his age he still writes, “But our citizenship is in heaven….” What subordinated Roman citizenship for Paul? What are the costs, responsibilities and privileges of this heavenly citizenship?
“As we grow up in Jesus, we get a glimpse how how we have adjusted ourselves to a world in open opposition to truth, peace, love and justice. The affect of this adjustment is that it reduces Christ to our personal chaplain and our heavenly citizenship to an ineffectual pie -in -the -sky theology. But to imitate Jesus, adopting his words and ways and seeing as he sees will result in us being maladjusted to the world as it is. The closer to Christ we walk the more palpable the tension becomes. Is it any wonder why people keep Jesus at a Sunday only safe and superficial distance? Yet, this tension, this feeling of being maladjusted to the world mustn’t go unnoticed, be repressed or become guilt, defeat or despair. In fact, it is a part of the fuel for a faithful life.
“We must become as Dr. King has said, “creative” in our maladjustment. Or, as Paul writes in another place, “transformed…so we can prove the good….” Picture a former President teaching Sunday school after building homes for the poor. Or, picture a Nobel Laureate leaving lofty company to support sanitation workers in their quest for fair wages. Creative maladjustment doesn’t take the weight of the world on it’s shoulders, only God can carry that burden. But it does as a first step. Shift our personal pronouns and primary considerations from I, me and my, to we, us and ours! What does this superior citizenship cost and what are its responsibilities and privileges? It costs courage to see the gaps between what we say on Sunday and how we live on Monday. It’s responsibility is to God and neighbor simultaneously and it’s privileges are clarity, purpose, joy and partnership with the God of all the nations.”