"Elect Exiles" (1 Pet 1:1-9)

The Apostle Peter calls us "elect exiles."  When he uses this term, he knows he's using words that have a rich, ancient legacy in the story of God's people.  But they're also words that seem to contradict.  How can we simultaneously be "elect" (chosen of God, redeemed, renewed, beloved, care for) and also exiled (seemingly wandering through the wilderness, homeless, homesick, abandoned)?  Isn't it one or the other?  We tend to think so.  But God, through Peter, insists we see our lives in 3-D color, not one-dimensional monochrome.  When we see ourselves for who we are--elect exiles--faith in our God grows vibrant and our endurance is fueled.