Hello, everyone!
My name is Sarah, and I am not a TCK. Okay, okay, you might be thinking. So why are you writing a TCK letter? Well, the answer is simple… and complicated. I’m what I call an MCK. A Mixed Culture Kid.
You see, my father comes from one country and my mother from others (yes, she was a TCK too). I grew up bilingually and am constantly surrounded by people from all over the world.We all pick up cultural behaviours from the people around us. Since I am influenced by so many different cultures, I refer to myself as an MCK. A Mixed Culture Kid.
(In this letter I will be referring to us as MCKs. TCKs are part of that.)
Most people have an (or many!) identity crisis in life. MCKs struggle with this even more than others who are not MCKs. Who am I? is a question often asked.
The problem comes in when we can’t associate ourselves with others. You’re not really like the people in the country you live in. You’re not really like the people of the country of your citizenship.
In the search for identity, it helps to find there are others like you. As much as it helps, with the help comes danger.
I am an MCK.
Suddenly, it becomes a label. I’m not Asian. I’m not an American. I’m not European. I’m not [fill in the blank]. I am, as sometimes called, a global citizen. I’m an MCK.
Now, you have a group of people you can associate yourself with. And that means that you can identify yourself with them. Slowly – it may creep up on you – it becomes your identity.
And that’s a problem… why?
As Christians, we know that everything materialistic is temporary and will one day cease to exist. We live in a destroyed and destructive world that is slowly but surely decaying. Therefore, nothing here on earth has value. No country is going to remain. And therefore, the concept of MCKs won’t either.
Why identify yourself with something that doesn’t last? It has no value.
What is our identity?
You’ve probably heard all these countless times before, but I’d like to say it again. MCK or no MCK, our identity as Christians is in one alone: Christ.
Sometimes, when I catch myself putting my identity in something other than that (MCK, my age, my language, my writing, …), I go back and remind myself of who I am.
In Christ we are
– loved (Romans 8:38-39)
– chosen (John 15:16)
– forgiven & purified (1 John 1:9)
– set free (John 8:36)
– sealed with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13)
– heirs (Romans 8:17)
– complete (Colossians 2:10)
– set apart (2 Timothy 2:21)
– protected (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
– equipped (Ephesians 6:10-17)
This list is by no means exhaustive. It could go on and on. But to sum up, dear friend, there is no value in putting our identity in anything the world has to offer. It’s like a fake ID card in comparison to what God has to offer. Because your identity is not TCK, MCK, MK, ATK, CCK, …
Friend, stop using your fake ID. Use your real one: in Christ.
Blessings,
Sarah
~
Sarah Susanna Rhomberg is a teen, who lives in Europe and is fluent in both English and German. When not writing, you will often find her reading or working on the organization of a camp for children – always with a mug of herbal tea at hand. Sarah wants to live her life for Christ and writes to glorify Him. Connect with her through her email list here.
