Sermon Illustrations: Citizenship

Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries on Southeast Asia, the kings of Laos and Vietnam had already reached an agreement about who was Laotian and who was Vietnamese. Those who ate short-grain rice, built their houses on stilts, and decorated their homes with Indian-style serpents were considered Laotians. Those who ate long-grain rice, built their houses on the ground, and decorated their homes with Chinese-style dragons were Vietnamese. The kings taxed the people accordingly hence they had no need for boundaries. It was simple; each person belonged to the kingdom whose values they shared and whose king they honoured! Word for Today 3-1-08