Today is World Refugee Day. I just want to encourage you to offer up your prayers for the homeless, the unwanted and the displaced. No matter what your stance is on the refugee situation, our hearts, as Christians, should hurt for those in need. I’m not saying we should or should not let them in our borders, but that we should care about what happens to them. Their lives matter.
I am not naive. I truly do understand the potential danger of allowing refugees into the United States. The media tells us that half of the refugees are children. Of course, that captures our hearts but we should also be aware that there are Islamic militant groups, in the world, that capture and brainwash children. So, a Trojan horse potential really does exist.
On the other hand, there are many refugees that simply want a safe place to raise their family. I cannot imagine how I would feel if the roles were reversed, and I was dependent upon the kindness of strangers for the survival of, not only myself, but my children. I can’t imagine escaping death, in my homeland and at sea, only to be turned away by those that fear that I may not be what I seem.
And the fear is legitimate. The potential risk is great. I’m not saying that we should act on pure emotion and set aside all logic and reasoning. But, as Christians, we should be praying for our emotions, logic and reasoning to be guided by the Holy Spirit.
Love is the core of our faith. But sometimes our definition of love gets skewed by the world. Unconditionally loving others doesn’t necessarily mean total unconditional acceptance. We should always be mindful of Jesus’ words to his disciples, who were sent out as sheep among wolves, telling them to be “wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.”
Being loving doesn’t mean being foolish, but it also doesn’t mean being cold and indifferent. Love is not selfish. Preservation of self is not its highest aim. Love is self sacrificing.
So this is not a simple problem. It has national, political, emotional, financial and spiritual ramifications. It is not as simple as just letting them in or keeping them out. The refugee situation is complex and requires a tremendous amount of prayer. We should be asking the Lord to give us insight and wisdom, as well as empathy and compassion. Our goal should be to please the Father in thought, word and action. We truly need the Holy Spirit to guide our hearts in this matter. So, I ask you again to pray. Thousands have already entered our borders. Pray for our governmental leadership to exercise Godly love and wisdom, concerning those that are already here and those that are on the way. Pray for the Lord to lead us unto the appropriate action and that we will be obedient to His Spirit.
Sometimes it is easy for us to see ourselves as Americans first and Christians second but truly it is the other way around. We benefit and have been given stewardship over one of the greatest nations the world has ever known and we should be ever mindful of that. But, ultimately, this place is not our home. Our sights should always be on eternal more than the temporal. Our citizenship is in heaven. We are merely “ambassadors” for Christ, here on earth. So, though we are stewards of the earthly blessings we have received, here in America, we ought not make preserving it our highest goal. Our highest goal should always be glorifying God, whatever that means and wherever it leads us.
I do not know the answer to this problem, nor am I taking a side. I am merely asking you to join me in prayer, asking the only One who knows EVERY ANSWER, that we might submit ourselves to His will and His purpose rather than our own. To God be the Glory forever and ever. Amen.
A special note:
What inspired this post was a video we saw by Alicia Keys. We can say with all honesty that we agree with the sentiment of the video, but we also recognize the complexity of the issue and the concern for the safety of our nation’s citizens. We’re not trying to stir up controversy–We simply wanted to share it with you and allow you to decide for yourself.
Watch “LET ME IN” by Alicia Keys:
