Before the colonialists imposed national boundaries, the kings’ of Laos and Vietnam reached an agreement on taxation in their border areas.
Those who ate short grain rice, built their homes on stilts and decorated them with Indian-style serpents. They where considered Laotians.

On the other hand, those who ate long grain rice, built their homes on the ground and decorated them with Chinese-style dragons, where considered Vietnamese.
The exact location of a person’s home was not what determined their nationality. Instead the cultural values they exhibited showed which kingdom they belonged to.
So it is with us: we live in this world but not of it, rather as part of God’s Kingdom were we live according to His Kingdom standards and values.                

Steve,