The Church as Exiles

The First Epistle of Peter teaches Christians, whatever our cultural context, to view ourselves as exiles—not homeless, but distant from our real home, “the inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you” (1 Pet. 1:4). Our uncomfortable calling as exiles—to be neither isolated from nor absorbed into our environment—means following the footsteps of the Suffering Servant, confident that, even as we are marginalized, “the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you” (4:12-14).