We Are All Refugees Here

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."  -Socrates

Who among us is not aware of the current refugee crisis that has captured the attention of the world? We have seen the horrifying photos of drowned refugee bodies washing up on shore; the video clips of long lines of people being led down roads like herded cattle to holding facilities by armed security personnel, and the close-ups of anguished children's faces and the forlorn expressions of the elderly.

Sadly, this scenario and hundreds more like it have been played out down through the history of the world. Whether caused by political or military oppression, or natural situations that necessitated migration; the movement of a people to safer, more stable environment is not new.

God's people too, are not strangers to this situation. Those who lived in both Old Testament and New Testament times were familiar with the story of the refugee. The Bible itself is a chronicle of Our Heavenly Father's devoted relationship with people as they live out their days. We see stories of movement and change as people and nations grow, mingle, and take on various attributes.

For example, in the Book of Genesis, we can see the beginnings of "movement" and "change" that started with Adam and Eve whom, when expelled from the Garden of Eden, were forced to start over in new surroundings (Genesis 3:23-24). There was Noah and his family who were called by God to leave the sinful world behind and plant the seeds of a new society (Genesis 6:13). 

Later, Abraham, a descendant of Noah, and his wife Sarah were sent out by God to establish a new land (Genesis 12:1;15:7). In the New Testament, even Jesus and his parents had to escape into Egypt to flee from the infanticide of King Herod (Matthew 2:13). While exiled in Patmos, the apostle John wrote the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:9-11).

I have attempted to show today how these few references from scripture bring into sharp focus the stories of people who were also forcibly displaced. As mentioned above, this unfortunate saga is not soley a phenomena of today's modern society. Today, as then, there are many challenges faced by refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced individuals. Unfortunately, there are no countries which haven't been affected by this.

We have all heard the voices of opposition and hate. These people have been targeted as security threats, economic problems, and social burdens. This refugee issue is both a political polarizing and complicated humanitarian dilemma. Including the current circumstances, the United Nations reports that there are over 59.5 million forcibly displaced people in the world. That’s about 1 in every 123 people alive today.

What this tells us is at the very least, we all need to think about where we go from here. As Christians, we should take the time to make ourselves as biblically informed as possible regarding all of this. We are lucky that we have points of reference by which God has, in his infinite wisdom, left for us to turn to.

In essence, we are all refugees here. But we all have one Father who created us in His image; and the message eternally ingrained in our hearts has always been: love and compassion for each other (John 15:12). Remember that.

Scripture: Exodus 1:8-14; Leviticus 24:23; Ecclesiastes 4:1; Jeremiah 22:3-5; Matthew 5:10-11

Prayer:  Almighty God, who has created us in His own image: Grant us grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom, help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our communities and among the nations, to the glory of Your holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God bless you!

Jo-Ann