One good story...

To be done obscurely.

Our citizenship is heaven. To be an earthly citizen is to belong to some strip of land, some place. It is to hold onto what cannot be held onto. To gain what will only be lost.

But if we are free to be close to others, then we can ignore such petty ties. Who had read Cat's Cradle? Now Vonnegut hated organized religion, it must be stated. But his imaginary religion contained some excellent insights. He was not anti-Christian per se, just a man who hated to see the truth, so he created something false to hate. "So God sent them a powerful delusion, so that they will refuse to see the truth and thus be saved..."

Bokononism is the name of his imaginary religion. His insight is the imaginary categories that men put themselves into, which in Bokononism are false.

Now Paul puts all men into two categories, those IN CHRIST, and those IN ADAM. The implication being that all other categories are false and dangerous.

In Russia, who am I? American? What are my goals in Russia? To defend myself within the context of these false categories? Now there is elements of truth within them, which can be exploited and used for those who love Jesus. Paul was not above claiming his Roman citizenship to avoid a flogging.

So then, I told her, what seperates us? Legal fictions, Bokononian categories that hinder intimacy. We have said, and shall always say, that we who know Jesus have more in common with an Iraqi Christian than with an American non-Christian. We must come at others with these two categories in mind only, no supremecy, no victory. Just those IN CHRIST who will fellowship on that level.

Insight from my trip. Perhaps what I have said is obvious.

...and we eagerly await a savior from there...our blessed hope, the glorious day, when our God and Savior Jesus Christ will descend from heaven, with a loud trumpet, with the voice of God, with his powerful angels, and we shall be saved. Caught up in the clouds together with him...

What else is there to hope in?