Calvin’s Corner: Living In Exile

““Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream,for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the LORD.”

(Jeremiah 29:4–9 ESV)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

(1 Peter 2:9–12 ESV)

This world is not my home.

My illusions about Babylon were ended a month before my tenth birthday when Bobby Kennedy bled out the last hope of Camelot on a ballroom floor in California.

I remembered when the darkness had fallen five years before when his brother died at the hand of an assassin, but it had been beyond my understanding.

The illusions could have ended when King received his martyrdom, but I didn’t comprehend racial tensions then.

I’d never known anyone who wasn’t of the same race I was.

At barely ten, all I understood was Babylon was not safe and never would be.

Nothing has happened since then to convince me otherwise.

In this time of such great division and rancor let me remind you that, as a Christian, you’re living in exile.

We’re not home yet.

We are a people looking for city, a home not built with hands.

Live as an exile as you seek the welfare of the place you are now.

Keep your conduct in front of the world honorable and be known for your love of God and neighbor.

Do not believe the lying prophets who tell you that this is where the journey ends.

Pray more than you rage.

In doing so, you will make a far greater difference than by your vote.

On this weeks Calvin’s Corner, Phil and I discuss Christians in politics and then meander into a discussion on sanctification.

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