Christ the King Sunday

"Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings of Laos and Vietnam reached an agreement on taxation in the border areas.

Those who ate short-grain rice, built their houses on stilts, and decorated them with Indian-style serpents were considered Laotians.

On the other hand, those who ate long-grain rice, built their houses on the ground, and decorated them with Chinese-style dragons were considered Vietnamese.

The exact location of a person’s home was not what determined their nationality.

Instead, each person belonged to the kingdom whose cultural values he or she exhibited.

So it is with us; we live in the world, but as part of God’s kingdom, we are to live according to his kingdom’s standards and values."

- Missionary John Hess-Yoder