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12 Lutheran Life Citizen Citizen Citizen It's no secret that we live in a politically charged climate in the United States. In the midst of charged conversations and political divides, it can be incredibly difcult to know what it means to be a Christian in this land and where our vocational intersection of being a Christian and being an American meet. To begin, it's helpful to recognize that as Christians we are citizens of two kingdoms: the earthly kingdom and the heavenly kingdom. The heavenly kingdom is centered on grace, forgiveness, and eternal life. Here, Christ reigns. This kingdom will have no end. We're also citizens of the earthly kingdom, where we abide by the rules and leaders of this land, recognizing that God has established all authorities under heaven to rule and to reign (Romans 13). We are equally and fully members of both kingdoms, but living in each may require different vocational tasks of us. Consider your relationship with the community around you locally, regionally, and nationally. Being an active citizen starts at the same place all other vocations start: with Christ's command to love your neighbor as yourself. This includes how you interact with those who have different political views than you, the leaders of your community and land, as well as those who are marginalized, under-served, or overlooked. In each instance, we are called to love and serve those around us. As a citizen, this may include things like abiding by the laws, voting, paying taxes, writing elected officials, and being engaged in civic affairs. & SAINT

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