Happy Veterans Day; Happy Veteran

I became a veteran by invitation, which is probably a good thing because it is unlikely that I would have become one by choice.  I had a couple of years of college under my belt, attending school part time and working part time, and hoping that the war in Viet Nam would cool down and go away.  It didn't, and I was half a unit shy of qualifying for a student deferment when President Johnson (that's Lyndon, not Andrew) sent me the invitation.  It was, in my view, terrible timing, a fact that I tried in vain to explain to the Almighty, but he was not to be persuaded.  (Fifty years later it is still true that most of my arguments with God have been about timing.  And He is still not persuaded.)

Most of my active duty time was spent as a medic at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.  Though alerted for Asia, we never went.  We weren't in the heat of battle, but we certainly saw the results.  Fort Sam was home to the army's burn center, and the worst of the burn casualties who survived Viet Nam were evacuated and treated there.  Getting acquainted with some of those guys was an honor.  Memories of those times, both good and bad, live on.  The time I spent in the army helped to shape me.  (I'm not talking physically; there are some things you shouldn't blame on the army.)  I'm pretty sure that my military service was better for me than it was for the nation.

Now I have become one of those people whom others thank on Veterans Day, and there is always a little bit of me that wonders why.  It happened again last Sunday at church in Canada when the pastor invited veterans to stand.  I freely confess to serving reluctantly, with all the enthusiasm of the man who, about to be tarred and feathered, said that if it were not for the honor of the occasion, he'd just as soon pass.  For this veteran, I think the thanks need to be expressed in the opposite direction.  What I regarded at the time as an interruption in my life became a tool in the hand of God to bless me.  So this Veterans Day, thank you, America, for the privilege of serving.

Sojourning Citizens

Valerie became a US Citizen last week, two days too late to participate in today's election.  I think I envy her.  Never have I filled out a ballot with less enthusiasm.  

Elections are supposed to be about hope; for many people this one seems to be about depression.  It's not that people worry about the consequences if their candidate doesn't win; that's pretty normal, though usually unnecessary.  This time too many people are worried about the consequences if their candidate DOES win.  Whatever happened to Obama's audacity of hope? 

Valerie and I both retain citizenship in the countries of our birth; Canada for her, and the United Kingdom for me.  We have adopted this country, a land that we love, and it has adopted us; we're glad to be here.  But having dual citizenship helps us to understand that we are sojourning citizens, here only for a while. 

Last Sunday we were in Canada and attended what used to be Valerie's church for the first week of a month-long emphasis on missions.  On one wall was the largest Kenyan flag I have ever seen, a reminder of the two decades that Valerie sojourned there.  She remains attached to Kenya, and it will continue to claim a hold on her heart.  But her roots lie elsewhere; she was a sojourner in Kenya.

And we are sojourners here, as well.  For as long as God gives us, we will seek the good of the land where we are, but we will do so with an awareness that our roots are elsewhere. In spite of that oath of citizenship, our first allegiance is to God's kingdom, and it is in seeking that kingdom that we have hope.  

Though it may surprise this election's winner, only God is sovereign, and it is likely that the United States will survive its next president.  Whoever holds that office is less important than he or she - or we - believe.  So with due respect to this year's candidates, this election day I'm not concerned about making America great again; my priority is to seek God's kingdom.  And I'm not with her; I'm with Him, the One who is my King.  It's a whole lot harder to be depressed when you're a sojourning citizen.