French Actor Gerard Depardieu Becomes Russian Citizen

On January 3, French film star Gerard Depardieu was granted Russian citizenship in a surprise decree from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The move, which bypassed the usual Russian citizenship process and waiting period for outsiders, was officially done because of the actor's "outstanding services to cinematography," including acting in Russian-made films. But practically, the move enabled Depardieu to avoid paying high French taxes on the wealthy and gave Putin an opening to move on his goal to streamline his country's citizenship procedure.
The Russian citizenship grant came about after Depardieu recently declared he was moving to a Belgian village just across the border from France, which would permit him to avoid France's proposed new 75 percent income-tax rate on people making more than a million euros ($1.3 million) a year, up from the current 41 percent. The 75-percent plan has been struck down by France's highest court, but the government is reworking the plan to increase taxes on the super-rich.
After the French prime minister branded Depardieu's plan to move to Belgium as "shabby," the actor facetiously declared, "Putin has already given me a passport." While that wasn't true, when Putin learned of the comment, he said, "If Gerard really wants a Russian resident permit or passport, consider that done." The film star then accepted the offer.
Russia's income-tax rate is a flat 13 percent. Russian officials see this as a powerful enticement for other big-earning immigrants as well. According to the World Bank, from 2008 to 2011, the French economy grew at an average annual rate of 1.7 percent, while the Russian economy grew at an average annual rate of 4.3 percent.
Depardieu reportedly said that it wasn't the taxes themselves that bothered him, but the way France "spits on success." He also complained about the way the media had treated him.
On Sunday, Depardieu flew to the town of Saransk, about 300 miles east of Moscow, where he was welcomed by the governor, who invited Depardieu to settle there and offered him an apartment of his choice. The actor has not yet said where in Russia he will take up residence, but did say he didn't want to live in Moscow because it is too big. He prefers a village.
Commenting to a French TV station about his move, Depardieu said, "I have a Russian passport but I remain French, and of course will keep dual Belgian nationality." He has not renounced his French citizenship, but has threatened to do so, and also to turn in his French passport and social security card.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Gerard Depardieu's Comic Russian Adventure. Bloomberg
Vladimir Putin Welcomes Gerard Depardieu to Russia. The Telegraph
Actor Gerard Depardieu Welcomed as Russian Citizen. CBC News

The Big Questions
(A note on terminology: This lesson includes references to two realms, one being God's kingdom and one being the earthbound realm. We are aware that some users of this material may think of Martin Luther's "two kingdoms" teaching, but that is a somewhat different line of thought than the way the kingdom term is being used in this lesson.)
1. Christians sometimes describe themselves as citizens of two "countries," one being this world and one being the world to come in which the ultimate rule of God is universally acknowledged and has full sway. What are the responsibilities -- as well as privileges -- that go along with citizenship, both in an earthly country/state/city and in God's kingdom?
2. If Christians have dual citizenship in God's kingdom and an earthly realm, what should we do when values of God's kingdom conflict with values of society on earth? How does it feel to be torn between two allegiances? How do you balance, in your daily life, your obligations that may extend in different directions?
3. On earth, it may be easy or hard to become a new citizen of a country or other locale. How easy/hard is it to become a citizen of heaven? Describe the "citizenship procedure." Is there a single key to gaining admission to God's kingdom? If so, what is it?
4. Whereas it's possible to change citizenship on earth, is it possible to opt out of kingdom-of-God citizenship after one has already been made a citizen (i.e., been baptized)?
5. In what ways do you understand yourself to be part of the kingdom of God right now? What priority do you actually give God's realm as compared to your national, state, or regional allegiances? Did these priorities shift when there was a national crisis, such as 9/11, or the Gulf War?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Zechariah 8:4-5
Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of their great age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. (For context, read 8:3-13.)
The prophet Zechariah preached to people who were very discouraged. They had returned from exile to find Jerusalem in ruins and the land impoverished. They had been allowed to come to Judah, but they were not free; they remained subjects of the Persians. They did not think things would improve, but Zechariah put before them a vision of people living happily and at peace. The vision he cast for them was part of what got the people moving toward rebuilding the temple of the Lord and getting their lives back on track.
The vision Zechariah described wasn't his own, however, but God's. The vision (read it all in 8:3-13) describes a scene such as a public park where old men and old women sit, basking in the sun, enjoying the environment and each other's company. And around them are happy children playing, completely safe. They are secure, for in this kingdom, where God himself is on the throne, there are no pedophiles or drug dealers lurking around to harm children, no purse-snatchers or con artists around to bother the old people. In fact, the elderly and the very young enjoy each other, and no one harms another. Everyone's well-being is assured. The crops grow well because there is neither drought nor infertility. And the whole kingdom is a place of blessing.
It was a kingdom-of-God vision that enabled the returnees to tackle the issues of their daily lives and make necessary changes and progress.
Questions: When has a vision or goal gotten you to change direction for the better or undertake a new endeavor? How do you think you would have responded to Zechariah's message? Rephrase Zechariah 8:4-5 so it reflects your ideal vision for society.
Matthew 6:10
Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (For context, read 6:5-15.)
When Jesus gave his disciples the model prayer we now call "The Lord's Prayer," one of the phrases he included was "Your kingdom come." While we often take that "kingdom" to mean the realm that comes in the afterlife, some Christians believe that "Your kingdom come" refers to God's full reign as king of this world. They believe that this petition is asking that the time come soon when, right here on earth, people will always treat one another as God wants them to, and that holy living by everyone will be a foregone conclusion.
Other Christians believe that the phrase "Your kingdom come" is a plea that the knowledge of God's grace and mercy shown to people through Jesus Christ's death and resurrection may expand throughout the world, both now and in eternity.
In either case, the phrase "Your kingdom come" may seem like a pipe dream. Current events make it easy to be pessimistic about human beings as an entire species all willingly doing God's will. Human nature seems too unreliable. Human greed seems too strong. Self-centeredness seems endemic. Acts of "inhumanity" are unfortunately too much a part of the "human" fabric. The same kinds of sins people committed 4,000 years ago are still committed today, so where's the evidence that we are any closer to the goal of God's will being done on earth just as it is in heaven? And many people still resist God's grace and mercy.
Against all of that, however, is the biblical testimony about God's kingdom. It's a major part of the message of Psalms and of the prophets, and it is woven deeply into the Good News Jesus Christ taught.
Questions: What are you thinking of when you pray, "Your kingdom come"? What does God's kingdom look like? What elements of God's kingdom, as you define it, are visible in our society today? What elements are not yet visible? Is it possible for God's kingdom to be fully realized in history? Beyond history?
Luke 17:20-21
The kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, "Look, here it is!" or "There it is!" For, in fact, the kingdom of God is among you. (For context, read 17:20-37.)
At the beginning of his public ministry, Jesus said that the kingdom had "come near" (Mark 1:15). The wording of the original Greek gives the sense not that the kingdom was an accomplished fact, but that it had "begun to arrive." That tone of begun-but-not-fully-here continued to mark many of Jesus' later statements about the kingdom as well.
However, elsewhere, Jesus talked about the kingdom coming in the future, with his return, as, for example, in Matthew 24:30: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory." On another occasion, Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, and he answered with the words quoted above, saying that "the kingdom of God is among you" (italics added). Thus both statements about the kingdom -- that it is yet to come and that it is already here -- are true.
With Jesus' arrival in the first century, the kingdom had begun and it became present at least in the hearts of Jesus' followers. In fact, the word translated "among" in Luke 17:21 can equally be rendered as "within."
In his book Wishful Thinking, preacher Frederick Buechner explains the "already here/not yet" truth this way: "Insofar as here and there, and now and then, God's kingly will is being done in various odd ways among us even at this moment, the kingdom has already come. Insofar as all the odd ways we do his will at this moment are at best half-baked and halfhearted, the kingdom is still a long way off ...."
Questions: In what ways do you experience the kingdom of God in one form or the other? In what ways do you experience it in both forms? To what degree is how you live each day determined by your citizenship in God's kingdom? Is it possible to live by the rules of God's kingdom if others are intent on not doing so? What sacrifice is required of us to live in God's kingdom?
Jeremiah 29:7
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. (For context, read 29:1-14.)
This is from a letter the prophet Jeremiah wrote to the people of Judah shortly after they were exiled in Babylon. Some apparently argued that the stay there would be short, but Jeremiah had heard different news from God. Although Jeremiah said the people would be allowed to return to their homeland eventually, that was to be many years in the future.
In the interim, said Jeremiah, the people should not only resign themselves to a long stay, but should actively seek the welfare of the land where they had been taken. They were actually to work for the good of Babylon. They were to not forget who they were or where they came from, but neither were they to think of themselves merely as short-term visitors.
Questions: In what ways do you work to actively seek the welfare of the people in your community? In what ways is that related to the prayer that God's will may be done on earth as it is in heaven? The Judeans were held captive in an alien culture, yet Jeremiah asked them to pray on its behalf. In our society some chafe when one party is in power, and others chafe when the other party is in power. Do you regularly pray in a positive way for leaders who are members of the other party? Do you seek the welfare of your nation/state/region regardless of who is in power? How should this affect the things you say about people in power?
Philippians 3:20
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. (For context, read 3:17-21.)
In Philippians 3:17-21, Paul is here drawing a sharp contrast between heavenly citizenship and an earthly mindset of some "enemies of the cross of Christ" (v. 18). He's likely also implying that heavenly citizenship stands in contrast to Roman citizenship so valued in Philippi, which was a colony of Roman citizens planted farther out in the empire. Commentator William Barclay says that Paul was probably alluding to something like this: "Just as the Roman colonists never forget that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship."
Questions: Do you actually think of having citizenship in heaven? How does that shape what you do?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to the quote from Frederick Buechner, found in the discussion of Luke 17:20-21.
2. Depardieu said, "I have a Russian passport but I remain French, and of course will keep dual Belgian nationality." What do you think this says about his national allegiance? If France and Russia entered into a military conflict against each other, what do you suppose Depardieu would do? How is this related to your "dual citizenship" as a Christian?
3. What would it take for you to give up your U.S citizenship? Is a hike in taxes a good enough reason?
4. Comment on this statement: "The kingdom of God is not evident to all, but only to those willing to discover it and enter it."
5. Think of some descriptive words for the kingdom of God and discuss their meaning. Here are a few to get you started: joy, wisdom, watchfulness.
6. Respond to this, from theologian Gunther Bornkamm: "We must not separate the [kingdom of God] statements about future and present, as is ... apparent from the fact that in Jesus' preaching they are related in closest fashion. The present dawn of the kingdom of God is always spoken of so as to show that the present reveals the future as salvation and judgment, and therefore does not anticipate it. Again, the future is always spoken of as unlocking and lighting up the present, and therefore revealing today as the day of decision." (From his book, Jesus of Nazareth.)
Responding to the News
This is a good time to consider to what degree how you live each day is determined by your citizenship in God's kingdom. Perhaps answer on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not at all" and 10 being "a great deal." If you decide your answer is at the low end, it could be a call to be more intentional about following Jesus.

Closing Prayer
O God, while we are not ruled by kings in our political life, we seek to be ruled by you in our spiritual