HOW SHOULD CHRISTIANS CONSIDER REFUGEES?

By Jalil Dawood, Op-ed contributor Thursday, January 11, 2024

A woman and children walk through Khazir refugee camp on April 15, 2017 near Mosul, Iraq. |Getty Images/Carl Court

In this country, the church has participated in a very difficult and divisive battle against immigration. However, much of the talk has overlooked an important truth: the biblical imperative to deliver the good news of Jesus Christ to those left behind.

In one of the last messages he gave to his disciples, Jesus gave them a great commission, saying, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you." And of course, I am always with you, until the end of time."

During the first century, missionaries such as the Apostle Paul traveled throughout the world to help lost people from other nations. Millions of them are now our neighbors, thanks to immigration.

Let me be clear: America should have the ability to protect its borders by restricting immigration for people who enter legally. Unfortunately, every day thousands of people cross our southern border illegally, depleting our resources beyond their breaking point. And even in a normal situation, the inspection process, which is intended to deter criminals and terrorists, fails.

 It is sad for the refugees who legally seek asylum in the United States; many of them are Christians who have been persecuted. They often have to wait years for asylum, if any.

What about the refugees who have arrived here or are heading towards our borders? Are we not responsible for sharing the gospel with them and treating them with compassion, whether they enter the country legally or not?

The Bible emphasizes the importance of showing kindness to "a quartet of vulnerable people—the poor, immigrants, widows, and orphans. Pastor and theologian Tim Keller, who has since passed away, said, "If you don't care much about the vulnerable quartet, it's a sign your heart isn't right with God."

Using this problem, the Church should use it as an opportunity to pay attention to what is missing for Christ—which we must prioritize above all else—and let the government carry out its responsibility to guard the borders.

At a recent panel discussion in Houston, the National Coordinator of the Evangelical Immigration Desk, Matthew Soerens, addressed this issue. According to Chron.com, he said, "We asked," How do we first think of immigration policy as evangelical Christians before thinking of it as Republicans or Democrats?"

The church should never have considered this morally significant issue politically.

or racially. Therefore, it is a pity for the statement of former President Donald Trump that illegal immigrants "poison the blood of our country." Acts 17:26 states that God created "one blood for every nation."

Acts 1:8 states that God's people were to preach the gospel everywhere, with those next to them, in other cities, and in Samaria, even though the Jews considered Samaria to be an unclean place. In the Book of Matthew, Ruth, Rahab, and Bathsheba (Uriah's wife) were strangers mentioned in Jesus' genealogy.

Therefore, the problem is not the strangers who are among us, but how we lead, care for, feed, love, and teach them.

The gospel changes lives, both on this earth and in heaven.

Dr. Jalil Dawood is a pastor at Dallas Arab Church and the founder of World Refugee Care. He came to America from Iraq and is now a US citizen.

News Sources :   https://www.christianpost.com/voices/how-should-christians-think-about-refugees.html