One of the pastors at my college church was an immigrant from Liberia. While I was there, I witnessed part of his journey through the path to citizenship. During this stressful time, I never once saw him express resentment, impatience (other than the kind that comes from excitement, like a child waiting for Christmas) or a sense of entitlement. In addition, while he often spoke of Liberia and led mission trips there, he never said anything to indicate that he still considered himself a citizen of that country. That, I think, is the crucial difference: If you want to move to another country and take up permanent residence there without renouncing your citizenship in your nation of origin, you can’t expect to be treated like a citizen of your new home. The reason: You aren’t one.
