That's right... I signed our family up for insurance through the Healthcare.gov exchange.
Ugh.
It pains me to say that, to be honest. I don't even want to get into the ins and outs of how I feel about the Affordable Care Act, or how it was passed, or what implications it has for our nation. In a nutshell, I will say that I am NOT a big fan. (That's an understatement of grand proportions, by the way, in case that didn't come through loud and clear.)
What I do want to talk about is *why* I spent my Superbowl Sunday signing us up for insurance in a country we don't even live in through an exchange I never thought should have existed because of a law I disagree with.
We've done a lot of praying about this whole situation. We've researched the law, gotten advice from others, checked with everyone from our tax advisor to our U.S. Senator. And, what it all boiled down to in the end for us is that we have a choice of which citizenship is most important to us - our U.S. citizenship, or our Kingdom citizenship (Phil. 3:20).
I bet you can guess which one won out.
First off, let me be clear that we are absolutely, unequivocally going to need to either buy insurance or pay the fine for not doing so. Yes, I am aware that we live outside the U.S. so no one *thinks* it should apply to us. Yes, I know that a lot of people *think* the law says X, Y, or Z, so they *think* it doesn't affect us. Yes, I know that there actually are exemptions available, even exemptions for people living in a foreign nation. But - trust me on this - I've explored this law inside, outside, and upside down, and there really is no way to get around it for us. At least, not while maintaining our integrity and following what we know to be right.
As a U.S. citizen I know that there are probably ways around buying mandatory insurance that, while technically not meeting the letter of the law, would certainly be acceptable enough and in keeping with what most believe is the spirit of the law, at least. (That is to say, most people wouldn't give them a second thought, and we'd probably never get in any trouble for doing them.)
These are things like just checking "yes" on our taxes when asked if we have insurance through our employer. I mean, technically we do. Kinda. Except that my employer isn't really an employer since I'm just a volunteer. Oh, and our insurance doesn't meet the minimum coverage requirements set forth in the Affordable Care Act law. Oh, yeah... and our insurance is in GUATEMALA.
So... yes, we have insurance. But, no, it doesn't count. And, even though we could have saved a whole lot of hassle by just checking, "yes" (and hoping we never got audited), it wouldn't have been honest or legal. Maybe as a U.S. citizen I'd have been tempted to do the easy thing, but Kingdom citizens do the right thing. For me, this is about a whole lot more than fines or laws or getting caught. James 4:17 says that if I know the right thing, and do something different, it is a sin. A sin, y'all.
I'm not willing to sin over the ACA law.
But why would not buying insurance be a sin?
Romans 13. That's why.
As much as I might not like it, or completely understand it, or feel happy about it, God (through Paul's letters to the Romans) tells me that I must be subject to the rulers above me, because all authority has been established by God.
<giant sigh>
Well... there you go. If God has established the authority of the president and congress of the United States, and they have implemented this law, then I am going to follow it. Let me be clear here - I'm not saying that there are never circumstances under which people should disobey the law or work to overthrow the authorities above them. For example, if a law requires me to act in a way that is against my Christian principles or Biblical requirements, I will break that law. My Kingdom citizenship will always outrank my U.S. citizenship. But, when the two are not in conflict, no matter how irksome it may be to me, the former requires me to obey the latter.
This is where the rubber hits the road. This is where I've got to decide if I *really* believe that the Bible is my guidebook in all areas of life. This is where I decide if I'm going to live out my faith every day of the week, or just on Sundays and when it's convenient. This is where I get to live out Romans 13 in more than just a theoretical way, even if it hurts.
So, regardless of whether the Seahawks or the Patriots win, I know I've done my patriotic duty - not just as a U.S. citizen, but as a citizen of the Kingdom of the Most High God. Now that's an authority I'm proud to serve for eternity, which makes even signing up for insurance in a country we don't even live in through an exchange I never thought should have existed because of a law I really disagree with all worthwhile.
No comments:
Post a Comment