Way Truth Life Apologetics

(original post 22 Nov 2019)

One area of life a person can be proud of is their national affiliation. Among all the countries in this world, being a US citizen is among the most coveted claims one can make. Growing up I took for granted what that meant and it’s in my adult life that I have experienced firsthand what it means for someone who was not born a US citizen to make the transition to becoming a US citizen. I speak somewhat intelligently about this process because my wife has just completed that journey in her life. Her entire life, she was a Philippine citizen, then became a non-citizen resident of the US, and is now a naturalized US citizen. As this process came to fulfillment in her life, some parallels dawned on me.

• Many in the world desire to become US citizens. Of the various forms of government that exist in the world, the US is viewed as a beacon of freedom, liberty, and opportunity. The idea of the “American Dream” is one many in the world desire to have. Rampant poverty and unemployment, lack of government provided support systems, substandard and costly medical care, famine, etc; much of the world experiences hardship that most in the US can’t begin to imagine.

• The immigration process for the US is a lengthy and laborious one. Not just anyone has the opportunity to obtain a visa to immigrate, obtain a green card / permanent resident status, and ultimately naturalize as a US citizen. There is a lot of paperwork, background investigations, medical screening, justification via evidences and affidavits, etc. involved in the immigration and naturalization processes. Essentially, a non-US citizen is heavily vetted (when going the legal route to immigrate and naturalize); one must qualify to be granted the privilege of coming to the US.

• It is a costly process. There are some hefty fees involved in filing paperwork / applications. Additionally, the biometric and medical screenings have costs. Obtaining criminal background reports from police stations where one resides can include fees. One of the main expenses is time. The process consumes a lot of one’s time to complete, submit, wait for response, travel to an embassy / port of entry / USCIS office for interviews. In all, this journey easily consumes at least 5 years of a person’s life from their initial filing to qualifying for naturalization.

So, what is the point of the above explanation? As coveted and desirous as it is to be a US citizen, there is a citizenship which transcends this notion. There is a Kingdom which eternally exists and will continue when the US goes the way of the Roman empire or ceases to exist altogether. There is a Kingdom where citizenship opportunity has been offered to all in the world! There is a Kingdom where becoming a citizen is an instantaneous process! There is a Kingdom where all fees and costs are waived because no one can afford to pay them; the King has made payment for each of us to become His subjects, His friends, His sons and daughters, His people! We do nothing in this process except acknowledge our broken and sinful status, surrender to His authority, plead for and receive His forgiveness, and spend the rest of our temporary lives growing in relationship with this King of kings!

My wife spent the past 13 ½ years beginning with filing her immigration paperwork as the wife of a US citizen, to obtaining her visa to immigrate after 1 ½ years, residing in the US as a citizen in good standing for approximately 12 years, and applying to become naturalized (which took roughly 8 months). As stated above, the entire process was intensive, involved, costly, stressful, you name it! It was not an easy task to say the least. In the end, she is in a position most of her peers in the Philippines only dream of being in. As wonderful as that is, she already possesses citizenship in an infinitely more desirous nation!

Becoming a child of God involves no paperwork. Becoming a child of God requires no criminal or medical background check. Becoming a child of God is a gift offered to us all; there is no fee to file! Jesus paid all cost when He hung on a cross, shed His holy, precious, and sinless blood for the world, and then raised from the dead three days later! The time involved in the process depends on how long you choose to deny God and live for yourself, facing trials, struggles, and the tragedies in life without God to comfort and guide you. The gates of Heaven are wide open for all to enter, but in order to come into the Kingdom, the King (Jesus) must be with you. He, and He alone, is your naturalization for citizenship in heaven. He has done all the work, He has passed the background check, He has paid the cost, and He is calling to you to swear you in as one of His people!

~In Christ!