Who Will Be The Next Refugee?
Good Morning Friends,
One emotionally charged word this year has captured the attention of people more than any other. It is being used to describe a sea change in world events. It is the word “refugee.” The displacement of people prompted by climate, economic and social change seems to be growing. The Bible tells several stories about refugees. Jesus was a refugee. The entire nation of Israelites leaving Egypt were refugees. Those in the Babylonian captivity were initially refugees. Interestingly world events today seem to be prompting people to leave not only their country but also the church in which they grew up. And I am wondering how God will use these events to further the Kingdom to come. I recently wrote about Church Refugees… those done with traditional church. Some of them are leaving congregations that can no longer economically survive with expensive buildings. They are underwater financially in a way like those whole island nations that are disappearing because of rising sea levels. It will be interesting to see how the world categorizes the citizenship of people no longer with a land or a church they can call home. Friends, if we are live out scripture. We will meet Jesus with the personal commitment to care for another person in need when we are presented with the opportunity. Who Will Be The Next Refugee?
Scripture: Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.’ Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I have called my son.’ When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: ‘A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.’
Matthew 2:13-18 (NRSV)
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
Matthew 25:34-40 (NRSV)
Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.
Revelation 3:20 (NRSV)
Message: In our time, migration is growing worldwide. Refugees and people fleeing from their homes challenge individuals and communities, and their traditional ways of life. It is all very disruptive and yet the Good News of Jesus is disruptive. Friends, at the heart of the Gospel is an encounter and acceptance of others intertwined with the encounter and acceptance of God. Welcoming others means welcoming God in person. God blesses us with the power of the Holy Spirit so that we can be a blessing to others and in these acts of kindness, God blesses us again as our spiritual energy is replenished. Here we experience God not so much in terms of a social consciousness but in the personal good news we share with another individual. I know for I have looked into the eyes a runaway child. I have gone into the jails to share the good news. I have fed the hungry and welcomed the refugee and the migrant. Here I discovered, and you can too, what the Kingdom of God intends for us. Here we come into the presence of the King. Here we are Christ’s fellow workers… for by serving others in Christ-like ways we light a spark in our own spiritual lives that in time spreads into our economic life and the very social institutions that we influence. When we discover that we do not take Christ into the lives of those in need but simply acknowledge His presence already there, then we become true disciples. In these moments we bear His presence…in these moments we share the most precious gift in the world….the memory and witness of God with us. Friends, there are still those outside. Without citizenship. Alienated. Perhaps they might join the most exclusive and most inclusive citizenship of Christ.
Pray we are both smart and loving. Pray realize that our ancestors in the faith were refugees and displaced people. Pray that we are ready when God puts opportunities before us. Pray that we live life beyond ourselves. Pray that we dare to care. Pray that we have a heart for the poor. Pray that we discover we are ministering to Christ when we respond to the poor with the dignity, intimacy and knowledge that we are serving…suffering with Christ himself. Pray we realize that our Savior was a refugee and that the Jesus experience is connected in service to those who stand at the door. Pray we find mutual enrichment in service. Pray we welcome those in need as we would Christ. Pray we defend a person’s right to live with dignity and to contribute to the healthy development of one’s own country of origin. Pray we work to avert the flight of refugees as a result of poverty, violence and persecution.
Blessings,
John Lawson
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