Tag: Middle East

When Refugees Can’t Come, We Must Go to Them

By Asher Witmer Current Events, Spiritual Formation, Work Life & Ministry
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And now we come to the current problem in the refugee crisis. Refugees can’t come to America. Not now, at least. If we can’t be Christian and not accept them, what are we to do?

I have heard a lot of discussion about the Parable of the Good Samaritan among Christians debating the crisis and Trump’s ban. What surprises me as I listen to these conversations is that many people are using the parable to justify not taking care of their refugee neighbors.

“The Good Samaritan didn’t take the injured Jew home with him.” “The Good Samaritan found him on his way.”

I’m afraid in justifying ourselves, we are missing the very point Jesus was trying to make.

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When Refugees Come, We Must Greet Them

By Asher Witmer Current Events, Spiritual Formation, Work Life & Ministry
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I do not believe you can be a Christian and not accept refugees. If we haven’t before, now is the time to truly count the cost of following Christ.

As Christians, we are called to lay down our lives for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We are the hands and feet of Love in this broken world, and we risk our lives being so. Our doors are to be open to the Christian refugee as well as the Muslim refugee. We of all people need to be the ones greeting refugees when they come.

Islam is a religion of consummation. They are not merely concerned with us accepting them and letting them have their own religious peace. They want the whole world to be converted. In taking them in as a nation, we risk being consumed by them. If we want the world to know peace, then we must be the first ones to care for them so that we can introduce them to the One who is peace.

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