Presented to The Salvation Army Harvest Community, 09 August 2026
By Major Michael Ramsay
Read the scripture here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter%202%3A11-17&version=NIV
Heather was at
Teen Camp last week. Just before that Susan, Heather and I were on holiday
for a couple of weeks. We traveled through Cashe Creek, Prince George,
Smithers, Quesnel, Merit, and other places. It was a lot of fun
exploring our province. I was struck by how nice Smithers is. I was
also struck by all the smoke with the fires going on. It was
a good trip.
Our family has
been on many good trips together. We went to The Salvation Army’s Boundless
Celebrations in London years ago. We have visited Denmark, Susan
and I have visited France, Susan and Sarah-Grace have been to Italy. We have
been to Cuba as a family. We have been to the USA quite a bit –
because it is so close.
We have
noticed when we are traveling that many things have
been accomplished by many people in all these different
places. We like to stop and read plaques by the side of the road, visit museums, and look
at monuments. It always strikes me when we visit the USA though that
some of the things celebrated by some of the monuments are things
that offend my Canadian sensibilities. Their values and
interpretation of history are still a little different from
ours.
But here is the
thing I need to remember: when I am visiting, I am just
a tourist. I can't vote in US elections.
I can't change their laws or their culture.
I don't have the rights of a US citizen and
I shouldn't because I am not one. They are a foreign country.
When I am there, I am a gracious guest; I am a tourist and I do not
forget that I am no more than that.
It
is similar in our life here on earth for Christians. We need to
stand up for Christ and we need to serve him. We can't,
however, get drawn into things that have no relevance to his
eternal kingdom. We need to serve Christ here while
still remembering that we are just tourists in this time
and place. We need to be gracious guests but never forget that our real
citizenship, our allegiance, our hope and our future
life is in Heaven.
Question: how
can we act as Christians in an other than Christian world?
Click here to read the original version published March 17, 2008:
https://salvogesis.blogspot.com/2018/03/1-peter-211-25-philippians-315-21.html
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