More Airport Experiences(Posted at HisCalledOutAssembly)
November 18, 2007
My wife and I recently returned from travel from Wichita, Kansas to Tampa,
Florida, where we were blessed to spend time with six of my eight
siblings and their spouses, and my aged parents, who were able to make
the trip from Iowa.
Traveling as we do, with Kingdom of Heaven passports issued through the
Embassy of Heaven (embassyofheaven.com), means that we never know what
to expect when going through airport security. The official line is
that "government issued" identification documents are needed. Our
documents are issued under the authority of the government which we have
chosen and recognize. The difficulty is that our government is not
officially recognized by the kingdoms of the world.
When we presented our tickets and passports to the Northwest ticket
agent at Wichita, he said, "I need government-issued identification.
This is not government-issued identification." As I recall, I said that
it was the government under which we live. He repeated what he had said
before, and asked if we had other identification with us. We said we
did not. He looked at my wife and said, "I need government-issued
identification". She shrugged, lifted her hands slightly, and said,
"That's all that I have." He then said rather quietly, "I can help
you". He looked at me and asked, "Do you know what you are doing?"
After a pause, I said I wasn't sure what he meant by the question. He
said (still holding our passports), "This is not a recognized government
of the world". After a slight pause, I said, "That is true".
From that point in the process it was clear that the agent was doing
what was necessary to facilitate our arrangements. It was an extended
process, partly because our flight had been canceled and we were put on
a flight two hours later. He went into a back room through a door and
took some time there. He had an assistant make three copies of our
passports and other documents. He called a higher office for directions
in a special case such as ours. During the process he received a
printout of about a page regarding our case, which he immediately turned
over so I could not read it. He gave us the new tickets, made sure that
our luggage was properly tagged, and explained all the revised
arrangements to us. This was all done patiently and courteously.
As always, we were "red-tagged" so that we were selected for special
screening when passing through airport security, staffed by TSA. That
meant being frisked, having carry-on bags and shoes wiped with tissues
which were tested for drugs, and passing through metal detectors. Other
than that inconvenience, we moved on, boarded the plane, went through
one plane transfer, and arrived at Tampa on scheduled time.
Because I did not have access to a printer while at Tampa, I was not
able to print our boarding passes from the airline web site. I did this
at a kiosk immediately in front of the ticket counter, which meant that
our luggage labels were automatically printed on the other side of the
counter for the agents. They asked for our name, put the appropriate
labels on our luggage standing before them, and sent us on our way
without even looking at our identification documents.
We proceeded to the ritual of passage through airport security. In all
our previous experiences, their work seemed to be focused on confirming
that the name on the ticket corresponded precisely with the name on the
identification, and that the time and place named on the ticket were
appropriate. Several times TSA workers had commented on the interesting
and unusual nature of our passports, without implying that it was their
function to question their legitimacy. This time our experience was
quite different.
The TSA worker who first met us said he needed identification documents
issued by one of the states or by the U.S. government. He asked for any
other documents we had with us which would meet this need. We had
none. He referred us to a worker standing in the area who apparently
had review authority. She repeated the same need, and asked for any
social security documents, voter identification papers, drivers
licenses, or anything else issued through such governments. I said we
had none because we didn't participate in any of the coercive
governments of the world. She called in a worker with still higher
review authority.
Our interaction with him took fifteen to twenty minutes or more. My
wife and I both thought at times that it might be our first experience
of leaving an airport because we were prevented from boarding a plane.
He forcefully said in many ways that he needed photo identification
issued by government, that it was our responsibility to prove that we
were the people named on the tickets, that the requirements were firm
and left him no option, that he could appreciate our position but could
do nothing to help us, that we simply would not be permitted to pass
through the security area of the airport without the required
identification. He suggested that we might talk with the airline to see
if there was a way for us to get on the plane without going through the
security area of the airport. I asked him if he knew of any such
possible way. He did not. My opinion is that he simply wanted us to
leave and be gone. I asked if the problem was caused by a technicality
or by a concern that we might be dangerous with phony identification.
He said there was a real concern. I asked if they could check the
records of the airline to confirm our many travels, or call someone in
Kansas to confirm our identity. He said it was not their responsibility
to check us out, but our responsibility to present acceptable proof. I
asked whether all this was something new. He said, yes, they are now
cooperating with the coast guard and using new procedures to tighten
security. As I recall, there were at least a couple times during all
this that he was spending time in a conference area with other workers
while we were left standing and waiting. I intended to imply by
remaining there that I thought it was proper for us to board the plane,
and that we would remain there until we were ordered to leave and told
that remaining would subject us to legal charges. Whether or not he had
this impression, he finally said that he knew of no solution but would
ask his manager to come over.
She came over, confirmed several details of our previous conversations,
and said she knew from what she had learned that we sort of have our own
church and are not a part of other governments. She said she would have
the airport police review us for security risks, and that if they
approved we would be able to board the plane. I thanked her for her
interest and for her efforts to facilitate the matter. I asked her if
she could make any suggestions regarding anything someone like me (not
a citizen or resident in any kingdom of the world) could do to make such
a process easier in the future. She replied that she didn't know of
anything.
The airport police officers (part of the local police force) who
continued the interaction had a pack of papers related to us that looked
to me as if there were at least ten to twenty pages, with my picture on
the front. Someone had obviously been spending some time on the
matter. I was told that to check on our identity they needed a date of
birth. I replied that in the kingdom of heaven we aren't using dates of
birth, but dates of baptism (or initiation, or beginning of identity, or
regeneration) for reference. That date is on the passport. The officer
said he needed a date of physical birth. After further discussion, he
asked whether I was unable to provide such a date. I said that within
his system I have no date of birth. He said he could accept that. For
reasons I don't understand, there was a discussion of where we obtained
our tickets. When they learned that they had come out of the kiosk by
the ticket counter, they were satisfied. A bit later there was a focus
on where I was born. I said I was born in the kingdom of the Lord
Jesus. Somewhere in the discussion there was an observation by them
that I did not recognize the sovereignty of the kingdoms of the world.
I said I accepted their sovereignty within their jurisdictions, but that
I remained outside those jurisdictions.
Continuing the search for a place of my birth, and understanding that I
did not identify subsections of the earth with state names, the lead
officer said he would rephrase the question, and asked whether most
people would consider the land on which my body was born to be a part of
one of the united states. I agreed that most people probably would,
though I would not. It was that which seemed to fully satisfy him. In
further friendly discussion, he told me that he recognized that we had a
constitutional right to travel as we were, even without providing a date
of birth.
This last part of the experience further supports my impression that
among the kingdoms of the world there is significance attached to the
land on which one is born.
They hesitate to expel anyone from the land of his "birth". Native
"inhabitants" are given a certain respect. This may be part of the
implied understanding they have with the Creator of the land and its
inhabitants. How a man determines how far someone else's native land
extends is a matter deserving our serious thought.
In the concluding moments of what had then become a friendly exchange, I
asked the police officer whether he could put a note in the airline
records or in other records available to security officers to make such
a process easier for us in the future, or whether I could do anything
else to help. He replied that while he knew that there was a
constitutional right for us to travel as we were, and that it could not
be prevented, the reality is that it may always be subject to such
delays and inconveniences. He could make no suggestions for improving
the situation.
While I do not covet any further experiences like these, I will be
available as they are put before me, and rejoice in the knowledge that
the Spirit may use them to make others more aware of the reality and
availability of the kingdom in which freedom is found.
And I rejoice and give thanks that in this case I could proceed on my
way, be blessed with time with my family, and return home safe and joyful.
May our Creator and Redeemer be praised!
John
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