Twenty-six individuals stood up,
from twenty-two separate countries, to take the oath of citizenship.
Different languages, different colors, different stories – but one oath to
become citizens of the United States.
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I
absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any
foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have
heretofore been a subject or citizen…”
My wife and I recently attended a
Naturalization ceremony for Global Refugee Day. We were gathered in a large
conference room in the downtown library, sitting with a hundred or so other
friends and family of those non-citizens who were ready to become
citizens.
There wasn’t any hype in the air
– more a mixture of subdued happiness and awe, as they declared, “I will
support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America
against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”
This is not seeker-sensitive
vocabulary. This is cutting, final, and “demands my all,” to quote an
ancient hymn.
Let’s consider what is required
to make this sort of choice:
Courage.
These people were burning bridges
to settle in a new land. This was a solemn but celebrative event. They had left
families, land, and loved ones. And
there they all stood, agreeing to be adopted by a new country. Afterwards,
my wife and I marveled at the words these new citizens recited. There was
no turning back. They were breaking all loyalty and severing all allegiance to
their country of origin. There was no wiggle room for moderation. No way
out. No compromise. Either they were to become Americans, or not. No middle way.
