Controversy. It leaps at us from our social media screens, weaves its way through academia, murmurs a loud undercurrent in polite circles whenever a daring topic is broached. Matters of justice are as much a cause of controversy as anything.
Let’s take a current issue as an example. Should our countries (I mostly have my home country Canada and our neighbour the US in mind, though I hope you’ll find this relevant wherever you read from!) accept more Syrian refugees more quickly? Mercy and justice – compassion for the hurting and the understanding that none should suffer unduly while others prosper – would seem to say so. But can it be fair and right to invite potential danger into our own countries, risking the possibility of harm to our people where there previously was none? (Well, not none. But less of certain types of harm.) Generally, the argument I hear is compassion and risk versus safety. Every now and then I’ll catch the subtle or not-so-subtle undertones saying, “Do they (immigrants, refugees etc.) deserve our help?” This question opens a complicated can of worms related to our dominant paradigms worthy of its own post. I’ll address the first question – compassion or safety? – here, relating it to what the Word of God says on the subject as best I know how.
Christians who I respect and admire take up the position that Canada’s borders should be closed to refugees, and they specifically mentioned the refugees fleeing northward to avoid the reign of Trump. They say that the only ones who would be fleeing from Trump are the ones who have broken the law, so why would we want them here? The other argument which everyone has heard is that refugees and immigrants, particularly from the Middle East, bring terrorists with them.
I think we can probably all agree that we have a duty to protect our children from danger and keep our society from destruction. As Christians, we have the example of the Israelites building up walls around Jerusalem to keep their city safe, and raising armies to fight any kings encroaching on their boarders. We have the words of the gospel writers that say Jesus welcomed the little children, that quote Him as saying “whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). Christ said that to enter the kingdom of heaven, one must become like a child. We can see that the Lord holds children in high regard. The apostles teach us also that we must take care of our families (1 Timothy 5:4).
The importance of family is also a cultural emphasis – particularly, I believe, the importance of defending one’s family. The North American pioneers had much to defend their families from – ongoing war between the British and the French, the British and the colonies, the colonies and the indigenous peoples they’d taken land from. In addition to this, I think we’ve taken the natural instinct to protect our families and idolized it as a sacred truth – but, Christian, we have another, greater truth to uphold. Christ died for all of us. All humans. Family, friends, enemies – our God loves them enough to die a horrible, painful, utterly human death on the Roman instrument of torture, the cross. So yes, love your families. Nurture and defend your children. But do not let fear trick you into missing out on this deep, wide, high, inescapably wonderful love of Christ. His love crosses all boundaries we humans have drawn for ourselves. Safety is not the highest goal we have in this fleeting mist of a life – our goal is to be like Christ, that we may glorify Him and draw the lost into His sweet love.
This desire to protect the nuclear family above all else – to protect ‘us’ from ‘them’ by separation if necessary – bleeds easily into the US/Canadian “me first, mine first, us first” mentality promoted by individualistic capitalism. This shapes our attitude towards refugees. By this logic, the potential to help others is not worth the risk taking on refugees poses to us. I can’t help but ask the question – do those Christians who support closing the borders to refugees do so for biblical, Christian reasons, or for cultural reasons? (Or, dare I say it, for selfish reasons?)
I say this without the intent to judge or to condemn, friends. I only hope that we all may look at our hearts and present them before God, being truthful with ourselves and with Him; then, may we be ready to receive and do His will – knowing that the foolishness of God is wiser than any of our wisdom. And thank God for that – my wisdom is pretty spotty.
Now, to the other side – accepting and welcoming refugees with open arms. Inarguably, this is the more compassionate course of action: the only question is its cost. If we accept as many refugees as we can (and I don’t claim to know how many that is or how we decide that!), will we find that we’ve put ourselves in danger? Will we have issues of terrorism? Citizens losing jobs? Public funds bleeding out supporting people who aren’t our people?
But these aren’t the questions I’m really asking. The question is: Will you choose to love your neighbour… even when it hurts? When you have doubts and are afraid? Do you trust God to do the right thing, and accept that what’s right may also be uncomfortable, perhaps painful? Do you trust God to love and protect you as you love others?
In May 2016, Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, experienced a wildfire considered Canada’s “costliest natural disaster.” Its population of about 88,000 people had to be evacuated. Red Cross shelters were set up across the province, and were desperate for donations and volunteers. Alberta came together (#AlbertaStrong !!) and united in support of Fort McMurray – as did the rest of our nation, and even internationals. That devastating fire made visible something beautiful and forgotten – Albertans’ strong sense of unity, loyalty, and community. A story that stuck out to me was birthed in Calgary; a family of Syrian refugees who had arrived in Canada a mere 5 months before the fire empathized strongly with the Fort Mac citizens. They wanted to help, and appealed to their community through a private Facebook group. A little boy offered to donate all his toys to the kids who didn’t have any anymore, and together the Syrians of Calgary raised nearly $2,000 for the Fort Mac evacuees.
Friends, I propose we ignore the fear-mongering rampant in our society, and instead, choose to trust in what is good. Trust God, and His eternal love and eternal Word. When we look at the world with eyes of love, we will see beauty everywhere, and create it in everything we do. When we observe the world through the lens of our fears, we see only shadows and darkness.