Tourist or Resident?

My daughter Kristi is my hero.  There are two seasons in her life that have influenced my own view of walking with Christ.  One was her five years in Germany, the second is her current two years in Thailand.

Let me explain. Sharon and I are currently in Thailand as tourists.  We have been to the zoo, the night market, and the Royal Park.  But we went as tourists.  We don't know the language (although I can butcher Hello and Thank you in Thai).  We don't know the customs we may be breaking.  And while we try to be culturally sensitive and learn a few things from the culture, I am not committed to finding ways to bridge my world and theirs.  I am here for two weeks.  Then I'm gone.  My investment is enough to navigate the experiences and not offend.

Kristi, on the other hand, is a resident.  She is committed to being a good resident.  Therefore she is learning the language and the lay of the land and the cultural cues she needs to do more than simply not offend, but to actually communicate her real appreciation for all those things in Thai culture that are different, not wrong.  (See my earlier post.)  As a result Kristi has joined us in all the things I listed above, but she did them as a resident.  She did them with a closer connection to the people and the culture because she has more than just a vague "I love mankind" approach.  The people around her are "these people in this place at this time."  Whatever it is she can do or participate in that reflects God's character, she's up for it.

Kristi's life reminds me of Peter's designation of Christians.  Quoting Moses' description of God's people Israel, Peter refers to the Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor as "sojourners and exiles."  The words picture a resident alien.  Whether we live in the town we were born in or have settled into a place thousands of miles away, ultimately this is not our home.  Our citizenship is elsewhere.  But like Jeremiah's advice to Israel in exile, we are to live life where we currently are in a way that benefits those who live around us, regardless of their own religious persuasion or lack thereof.  Our focus is not on what brings us joy or things that benefit only us.  Our focus is on what brings good to those among whom we live.  The greatest good, of course, being the good news of God reconciling people to Himself through the sacrifice of His son, Jesus.

Being a resident alien is a real challenge.  We don't always understand the cultural cues and at times we do not invest ourselves in the people who are so near to us. It takes too much concentration and awareness.  We act more like tourists.  We only want to connect with the dominant culture in ways that benefit us or bring us pleasure.  We don't take the time to learn the language, the customs or the values of those among whom we live.  Maybe it's time to live more like resident aliens and less like tourists.