It feels strange. After being a card-carrying alien for 44 years, the Japanese government is changing their policies as of this month. Our alien registration cards are being exchanged for residency cards. Not everyone has appreciated being called an alien, so some may feel this new designation sounds more welcoming.
While I have never resented being called an alien, carrying that ID has helped me remember where my true citizenship is. I love it that Ephesians 2:19 says I am not a foreigner or an alien, but a fellow citizen with God's people and members of God's household.
As a child here in Japan I was tall, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed. I always stuck out and was stared at. My hair has naturally changed colors several times over the years, but the height and blue eyes are still noticeable here. No one ever mistakes me for a Japanese. Even when I'm in America I'm what's called a hidden immigrant. I look like I should fit in but have lived so many years overseas I'm always a bit on the edge of understanding what's going on.
That not-quite-belongingness is really a blessing. My residency here on earth is temporary. It's so easy to get caught up in how I fit in or don't fit in here on earth. But in my heart of hearts I know it's really my eternal ID that counts. My most important identity is as a child of God. I love that. I want to "fix my thoughts on Jesus" (Heb. 3:1) while I continue being an alien in this world...whether it's what that little card I always carry with me says or doesn't say.
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