The Bible -- specifically a verse in Psalm 119 -- offers the perspective that persons of faith are 'sojourners on earth.' That is, we aren't fully at home in this world. An old gospel song puts it this way: "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through." A difficulty with this view is that, as has often been observed, we can be so heavenly minded that we do no earthly good.
The disciple of Jesus has dual citizenship, in a manner of speaking. Obviously we are born and live in the only world we know, and thus we are citizens of the world. When we experience the grace of God in Christ and become his followers, we become citizens of the Kingdom of God as well. Citizenship in the Kingdom of God requires full commitment to the life of service, pursuit of justice, the cause of peace as citizens of this world. It is in this world that we have the opportunity and obligation to live out the lifestyle of the Kingdom of God.
Today, perhaps, our challenge is not that of those who adopt a totally "heavenly minded" approach. But rather, as disciples we may tend to be too much at home, and not enough a sojourner here. So we give in to many of the same attitudes and values that dominate in society - materialism, self-centeredness, avoidance of responsibility, indifference to the concerns of others, prejudice and fear, or whatever. When that happens, our witness to the Kingdom of God is dimmed, and our citizenship in this world is a life less abundant than it was intended to be.
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