Tuesday night 50+ people gathered at The Falls Church Anglican’s Ministry Center in Falls Church, VA to pray and engage the global refugee crisis together.  We gathered around this topic to think about what it means to be citizens of heaven first, and citizens of the world second.  Bill mentioned he’s been thinking often lately of the implications of the fact that none of us chooses where we were born.  Those of us born here in the US have lived in relatively peaceful times, especially compared to those born in the Middle East. And even so, there is a very real fear that surrounds this question of foreigners in our land.

This fear translates to a closing of doors, within ourselves and throughout our lives. Biblically, there is enormous precedent for loving refugees and immigrants.  The entire nation of Israel, God’s beloved people, were immigrants.  Exodus 23:9 says “Do not oppress a foreigner, you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.” God loves the stranger.  He loves His creations, His image-bearers, those who are unknown to us are still known to Him and He loves us and them equally, infinitely.  The Christian response to the refugee crisis from a biblical angle can be summed up in 5 things:

1. See Jesus … in the faces of those around you, known and unknown
2. Bless Jesus… when he shows up on your doorstep, in your grocery line, or in your kids’ schools
3. Be Jesus… in the world for you are his hands and his feet
4. Share Jesus… freely and boldly, know that his aroma is a sweet comfort to all who seek him
5. Pray to Jesus… and he will sustain you, protect you, and give you his eyes to look for his children everywhere you go

Practically, we know that Christian churches are one of the main ways that refugees get resettled.  It is part of our calling. World Vision’s Nancy Green gave us a picture of what the current refugee crisis looks like and some concrete ways to help now, on a global scale and on a local scale.  We can assist our brothers and sisters on the front lines in Middle Eastern churches – wewelcomerefugees.com.  Another resource connecting churches and refugees across the globe is the Refugee Highway Project. The Barnabas Aid project provides help specifically for the persecuted church.  And TFCA has more links that can connect us with organizations locally providing help to refugees in the area such as: Lutheran Social Services (especially in VA) and more can be found at : http://tfcanglican.org/global.
One of the images for the evening reminded us that “God moved heaven and earth to let us in,” shouldn’t we do the same for others? Use what you have, use who you are, use where you are and what you’re already doing…that’s how God works best to build his kingdom, because he designed it and us that way.  Let’s all pray for the chance to lay some bricks and mortar in God’s kingdom on earth in the form of loving and welcoming strangers.