One of my army of nurses came in while I was watching the news Tuesday. The story was a feature on Syrian refugees who have been taken in by a church in New Jersey.
She asked me what I thought about that.
I had been given much thought to my fearfulness in writing about this subject of accepting refugees into this country.
I had seen the Facebook entries about Jesus being a refugee to Egypt and saw nothing that was remotely similar to this current dilemma we find ourselves in.
Let’s begin with a few facts as I understand them.
In 2015 statistics, there are over 14.4 million refugees, a 19-percent growth from the previous year. There were 4.2 million Syrian refugees running from a horrific present Civil War in that nation. The ceiling for 2016 for Syrian refugees in the U.S. is expected to be around 85,000, which is about 15,000 more than in 2009
As of Nov. 17, according to CNN, here’s how this works: Potential refugees apply for status through the United Nations High Commission for Refugees which essentially decides who merits refugee status basedom the parameters laid out ij 1951 Refugee Convention. Those who do merit this basis include those who in fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owning to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.” Sure sounds familiar.
When they come in, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the Defense Department, the National Counterterrorism Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are all involved in the process of vetting the background of the refugee.
More than 30 UMC churches in the states have pledged to take in refugees.
Having written all that, the question is not a political one for these purposes but a religious one. What do we do as Christians? How will we be consistent in our witness?
Let’s start with this passage in Leviticus: “You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
That would seems to be straightforward enough, until you begin to think about those other things in Leviticus that you don’t follow or don’t believe.
Or in Exodus: “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You shall know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”
Seems straightforward, until you think about how any commandments you struggle with.
So where is the answer?
Seems to me, as simple as it might be, Jesus trumps the issue if you want want to be called Christian.
Look, there is fear that one of the refugees will walk in and blow something up. Paris has done that for us, I’m afraid.
But there is fear that someone will shoot up a school, or a planned parent building, or just a car at McDonald’s in New Orleans. There is fear that a black man is going to shoot a white cop and there is sure fear that a white cop is going to shoot a black suspect. Or black on black or white on white. Fear isn’t enough of a reason.
Jesus said this to all who want to incorporate the word Christian.
Let’s read it this way (without further comment from me):
“For I was hungry (in Syria), and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty (in Syria), and you give Me something to drink; I was a stranger (in Syria) and you invited me in; naked (on the road from Syria or on a boat from Cuba or one from Vietnam) and you clothed me (in rags); I was sick, and you came to me; I was in prison, and you came to Me’
What if these were your children? What would you do?
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