There are more refugees in the world today than any other time since WW2, yet our President has administered an executive order banning refugees from seven prime terrorist countries.
The seven main countries refugees are fleeing from.
I am not concerned about the executive order. We will get into that in the next post. What concerns me is the unwillingness on the part of many followers of Christ to open their doors to those fleeing for their lives.
Now, I understand there is a whole group of politicians wanting refugees to come. They are the kind who are tolerant of all religions, so they say. They don’t understand that patting Muslims on the back doesn’t mean they still won’t try killing us. Furthermore, in the spiritual realms, the one behind their liberal agenda is the same one behind the violence of Islam.
And Islam is violent.
But, if Christ were here today, would He be closing His doors to refugees just because a bunch of liberals also want them to come?
I can’t find evidence to support the attitude of closing our hearts in the face of atrocity. Yes, there is risk. There is great risk! Muslim refugees won’t come without bringing their religion, their idols. It could be we allow them into our nation only to die at their hands. I don’t know. That’s about as emotionally blown-up as the guilt trips people play to let them in.
But let’s look at what just might happen if we don’t take refugees in, right now. This is not a guilt trip. If you take in refugees for feeling guilty because of something I say, you are missing the point.
The point is who do we love?
As disciples of Christ, our lives should not matter to us when it comes to helping the needy, clothing the naked, and setting the captive free. We have an opportunity to not just show hospitality, but to disciple a people who have been estranged from God since the days of Ishmael.
What is even more unique about this current opportunity is that many fleeing for their lives are being killed by those of their own religion. It’s a reality they never thought possible. At least, not in this way. And it makes them question everything.
The harvest is ripe, but the workers are too worried about who benefits from their tax money.
In 1939, a ship called St. Louis carrying 900 Jews landed in Cuba looking for entry visas to the United States. They were denied visas and told to leave Cuba. The captain of the ship turned it toward Miami, but was met by the US Coast Guard making it clear they were not welcomed since they were illegal immigrants.* President Roosevelt told them they would need to “wait in line,” essentially the same thing as “we need a better vetting system.”
Here’s why turning refugees away in the middle of crisis is serious: of 900 refugees, 255 died because the only nations who would let them in were neighbors to the ones killing them in the first place.
Twenty-eight percent of the people fleeing on the St. Louis didn’t make it alive, but they could have had America opened its doors.
America, one of few countries governed by the people for the people. One of the most “christianized” countries of the world. Yet, it is the very people who call themselves followers of Christ advocating turning refugees away.
“So what are we supposed to do, Asher? Go picket in front of the White House?”
I’m glad you asked! Now, we can get into the real meat of the issue.
Question: If you are one wanting refugees to come, tell me what you will do for them? If you one not wanting them to come, tell me why? Share in the comments.
*Read more about the St. Louis here.
**This is part 2 of 5. Click here to read part 1.
