The world is moving and migrating to other nations, to cities, escaping poverty, war, injustice. Who could blame them? We would go to, run if we had the chance too. Many are pursuing peace for their families, a way to earn a living or possibly a dream to pursue. We all want that for our families. Are we judging their motives too much? We heard of their journeys and plights, maybe we know a few personally. What is God’s heart and our response? It is the largest crisis since World War 2. 65 million refugees spread out to mainly other unstable nations and many in our own nations.”The crisis spawned by 65 million refugees created a “test case” for Christians, Haas insisted.
“I believe God’s got us in a test, and he’s saying: ‘Work it out. … It’s not the world you want; it’s the world you have. And I’ve given you the resources, the treasure, the talent. And I want you to invest in these places. Don’t recede; dive in.”
The test is whether Christians will give people throughout the Muslim world an opportunity to fall in love with Jesus, he said.
Those people need food, hospitals, housing, clothes, education for children, jobs training for adults, clean water, waste-treatment plants and other support services crucial for life and health.
It’s “missions for big people,” Haas said.
“We’re in a battle against time,” he noted. A major concern is “the radicalization of youth,” which makes refugee camps recruiting grounds for terrorist organizations.” Do we see this as an opportunity, a burden, or don’t really care? Times make us to chose and our God does to. Let’s ask Him.
Is God possibly calling us to be His hands, ears, heart voice for displaced people? Let’s search His heart and word together. Many of us have nations built on immigrants. What is God calling you to do?
Leviticus 19:33–34; Deuteronomy 10:17–22; Deuteronomy 24:17–22; Deuteronomy 26:5–13; Psalm 146:8–9; Matthew 25:35–40).
So should we just ignore them? Should we close our hearts and borders for fear of unknown or possible terrorism that may come from their hand? Should we shun them even though many of us came from the immigrant once that made our free land? Do we care or are we desensitized? They can be valid questions to ponder but are they the right ones? Not according to God’s command. He’s challenging us to care. Then why should we turn a blind eye to their needs?
It was 1913, and my grandmother took a ship from Poland to reach Philadelphia in America. She was 18 years old and full of high hopes of a better life. Gram was poor back then but a good Catholic lady who worked hard for her family; 12 hour days shifts in the sewing sweat shop in Quakertown, PA. Dad ate potatoes every day, perogies, potato pancakes, potato fries; mashed potatoes; and he walked uphill both ways to school for miles with holes in his shoes. Well, that is at least what Dad told me. He was raised by his sister who was 9 years older cause gram was too busy earning a living to feed 9 hungry mouths, six growing boys and three girls. My middle class wealth growing up came from past generations working their butts off! Polish immigrants were looked down upon by the Irish in Quakertown but that didn’t give my father a complex. He worked his way up the corporate ladder first as a factory worker then as a manager and boss, and then as a Human Resources head between workers and union. My great grandfather on mothers side came to America because he wanted freedom to worship his God. He was a ship captain in Riga, Latvia. So without them braving the seas as an immigrant I’d be in Poland or Latvia or Germany. Who knows where I’d be, what I’d be doing but I have so many opportunities because they left their nations. I may never have many if they stayed.
“When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress or mistreat him. ‘But the stranger who resides with you shall be to you like someone native-born among you; and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt; I am the LORD your God.”LEVITICUS 19:33-34 AMP
According to these verses, we are not to just tolerate the foreigner or refugee, but love them as yourself and this was the law even before the cross. Think how much more we should love them with the cross behind us and before us. In fact how about with Jesus love?
“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not harm or oppress any widow or fatherless child. If you harm or oppress them in any way, and they cry at all to Me [for help], I will most certainly hear their cry;”EXODUS 22:21-23 AMP
God put their care in same category as protecting orphans and helpless grieving widows. Should not we?
It was the year 2008 in the stormy winter rains of Cape Town, South Africa when the violence started. It was scary news. Especially because the refugees some had come to be my friends. A wave of xenophobia (fear, violence, and rage toward the African international foreigner) took over South Africa. Looting and burning of businesses of the foreign African in impoverished communities became the norm over South Africa. Fires, theft, beatings, bloodshed drove them out. Some people in wealthier and middle class areas took in the families into their churches, army camps, campgrounds. The excuse for the raids: They steal our jobs. It was said, They bring poverty. But I believe most of the violence came from the hidden pain of the past, violence begets violence. and many feel justice and opportunities never came to the black townships. Apartheid’s wounds is still open with salt poured in; it still aches with the effects of institutionalize racism and disparity between black poor and white privileged. The pain of past and present realities is showing in student protests, service delivery violence, and the deeper wound is starting to be uncovered. Before it was reconciliation has happened so let’s not rock the boat. Now the past reconciliation was cheap so let’s go beyond and give us true restitution. Now we are only starting to talk. And a wound uncovered can’t begin to heal if all pain and infection starts to get removed. So how do we go from here for the refugees though. (Even though most escaped war and walked miles over difficult dangerous terrain to come, even though most work hard and accepted jobs under their skill level for less wage, there just ain’t not enough room for the two of us! ) They have no right to be here so we need to push them out, it was said. Businesses were burnt and the foreigners driven away from the townships. Not that it is the right way. It was a cry of desperation for those who did the violence. But what is our response? How can we help bring healing, not judge but see violence turned to peaceful activism to bring hope and restitution but hold accountable those who bring violent hate? It’s complicated they say. But the reality for the refugee then in 2008 was that they had also no calm place to call home again. Retraumatized. Left out in the cold literally. So then they sought refuge in tents, tents that blew down in Cape Town winter storms and leaked. It was more trauma for an already traumatized people. The refugees again were displaced and became refugees again where they sought safety. Yet people pitched in to care for them. So many people gathered to help them; that the winter I worked in the camps with clothes sorting, food distribution, and English tutoring. I got 12 colds and flu and struggled through that winter but they had it the worst. So glad that year was over, never to be repeated. I worked in a necklace workshop for Burundi refugees for 6 years and it was good to do it, hard to hear their stories of pain, rewarding to see them find the love of Jesus. It was Job creation and sharing His love.
So the refugees also became hopeless who were pushed out. This was the headlines that day. I went to visit one camp close to us with a Somali refugees and as I entered the camp unknowingly I entered into a riot in progress with police using rubber bullets just before that to stop the chaos as Somalis tried to break down the gate to get in the camp but it was full already. The were pushed back from the gate and I was let in to help the people in the camp. The refugees were wanting to escape the country for fear for their lives so threatened authorities to drown themselves in the ocean if they could not get a ticket out to a safe place. It was sad but they did not carry out their threats thank God! Manipulation? Some said it was. Or Desperation? Or both? Glad they did not carry out their threats. What would call for such response of trauma? What would cause us to turn a blind eye. Desensitation. Manipulation. Victim mentalities we scorn. But what is the right response? What is Gods heart? Some of the cycle of violence came because the oppression of apartheid not resolved. Today the refugees are mostly back in their homes and things are quiet for the most part. But refugees face persecution and are despised still at times here.
“He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) by giving him food and clothing. Therefore, show your love for the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear [and worship] the LORD your God [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect]; you shall serve Him and cling to Him [hold tightly to Him, be united with Him], and you shall swear [oaths] by His name.” DEUTERONOMY 10:18-20 AMP
I had the privilege to visit Berlin and help Syrian refugees a couple days when they were arriving en mass. The crisis broke my heart So when I was in Europe for a conference and knew I had to do something that October 2015. I volunteered to sort piles of donated clothes the Generous Germans contributed and gave out water. I was happy because I knew no German but some Arabic which which I could use because I lived in the Middle East a decade back. The volunteer work was an initiative called, Give back to Berlin. I never saw any country like Germany that opened her heart to refugees. I so love Merkel; what an amazing lady when it came to offering hospitality to the stranger.
“For the LORD your God is the God of gods and the Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the awesome God who does not show partiality nor take a bribe. He executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and shows His love for the stranger (resident alien, foreigner) by giving him food and clothing.” DEUTERONOMY 10:17-18 AMP
When I was ever helping with refugees I never saw more of a abundant response of communities both in Berlin and South Africa giving freely away nice clothes and food items. This is one way of God’s provision. One thing that made me laugh was the instance an Arab man was confusingly looking for a certain size shoes in the Berlin refugee Centre. I was helping and only knew Arabic and the other lady helping only knew German. I without German in Berlin, first time there, could help and get him the size he wanted cause I knew Arabic but I could not let the German worker know what I was speaking. She was confused but the man went away happy with big shoes! The nations are helping the refugees and it is Gods care for them in a start.
But do you know God is drawing them? In an Arab nation, I helped with an inductive Bible study where Muslim Syrians were discovering themselves the beauty of Jesus and his radical claims. Many open up and have dreams about Jesus and come to know him in other nations. Before they never could hear. They weren’t as open. God is moving them, drawing them in the midst of the evil war to call them to Him, the Lover of their souls.
Refugees comes from every education and profession. Most Zimbabweans I met work here as waiters and waitresses forsaking at the moment their professions to make money. I met those who are teachers, pharmacists, businessmen but humble to work wherever they can find with a smile on their their faces. Syrians are doctors, nurses, teachers, businessmen wanting to start life again and they can add to society. That’s credibility. They have goals and good dreams.We must recognize the majority of terrorist attacks in Europe and America did NOT happen from a refugee. Yes it’s true probably even from ptsd madness attributing some, a few lone wolf attacks did happen. But for the majority of attacks were not refugees and they were living in those nations as citizens or permanent residents. Trauma is real and the traumatized can continue the cycle of violence so how can we bring healing to them, to nations who come to live amongst us.
Will you be their friends? Will you teach them your language? Will you show them where to shop, how to send their kids to school? Are you able to meet them for a coffee to find out how they are? Are you able to enjoy their children? Are you able to give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, clothes to the needy; it may be Jesus you are serving and they may never get to hear about Him in the nations they come from. You can do that, hospitality you show every day to Friends and strangers. You may be the first Jesus they see. And you will see Him reaching out!
Case study Examples to get to know your nation’s immigrants ( if a US citizen for example) of their amazing foreign contributions economically in USA, to put a reality to the people you see now in a nation. (Challenge for other nations: look up your nations immigrants and their contributions.)
“Immigrants make up significant shares of the U.S. workforce in a range of industries, accounting for over 41 percent of all farming, fishing, and forestry workers–as well as nearly 25 percent of those working in computer and math sciences. As workers, business owners, taxpayers, and neighbors, immigrants are an integral part of the country’s diverse and thriving communities and make extensive contributions that benefit all. One in eight U.S. residents is an immigrant, while one in nine residents is a native-born U.S. citizen with at least one immigrant parent. In 2015, 43.3 million immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 13.5 percent of the national population. The United States was home to 21 million women, 19.8 million men, and 2.5 million children who were immigrants. The top countries of origin for immigrants were Mexico (27.8 percent of immigrants), India (5.5 percent), China (4.8 percent), the Philippines (4.6 percent), and El Salvador (3.2 percent). In 2016, 37.2 million people in the United States (11.7 percent of the country’s population) were native-born Americans who had at least one immigrant parent.Nearly half of all immigrants in the United States are naturalized citizens. 20.7 million immigrants (47.8 percent) had naturalized as of 2015, and 8.4 million immigrants were eligible to become naturalized U.S. citizens in 2015. The majority of immigrants (71.8 percent) reported speaking English “well” or “very well.” Immigrants in the United States are concentrated at both ends of the educational spectrum. More than one in four adult immigrants had a college degree or more education in 2015, while almost the same share had less than a high school diploma.
The United States is home to nearly 690,000 active Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. Approximately 689,800 active DACA recipients live in the United States, while DACA has been granted to about 800,000 people in total since 2012. As of 2016, 68 percent of DACA-eligible immigrants in the United States, or 886,814 people, had applied for DACA. An additional 398,000 people in the United States satisfied all but the educational requirements for DACA, and another228,000 would be eligible as they grew older.
Nearly one in six U.S. workers is an immigrant, together making up a vital part of the country’s labor force in a range of industries. 27.2 million immigrant workers comprised 16.9 percent of the U.S. labor force in 2015.
Even if a refugee or immigrant can’t contribute to a society because of lack of opportunity poverty or raising a family, do we have any right to shut them out if God calls them in. The cost of any man has so much intrinsic incredible value no one can deny so let’s measure their worth by what God says and their place as God would see them. The earth is moving. Are we letting them into our world? Are we even called to immigrate to another nation to tell them God loves them and died because they are unlimited valuable!
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