Sunday, November 22, 2015

Shutting Out the Refugee



                I am deeply ashamed of my country right now. Please don’t misunderstand, I love my country very much and wish the very best for her, but the decisions of more than half of the states to turn away all Syrian refugees and of the US House of Representatives to “require the head of the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Director of National Intelligence to sign off on each refugee as being ‘not a threat to the security of the United States’” (http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-34870724) is an over-the-top isolationist response motivated by fear and inconsistent with the Good News of Jesus that many of those supportive of this legislation say they embrace. I long for American Christians to wake up and see the contradiction between faith in a God who reaches out to a suffering world, coming Himself that we might have life, and our hard-heartedness towards those fleeing war and death and destruction in a complex conflict between four sides.

                Throughout the Bible, God’s concern for the alien and sojourner is demonstrated again and again: Abraham and the patriarchs, Moses and the people of Israel, Ruth, David and others. The theme is explicitly addressed in the book of Hebrews as we are described as aliens and sojourners. Provision was even made for Cain – a less than worthy example of a sojourner – who God marked as a warning to those who might mistreat him. God is described as our refuge no less than 45 times in the Psalms alone; If we look to God as our refuge, do we have any right to shut the door in the face of those who are being slaughtered by ruthless murderers? More than any specific command, the call for Christians to open their hearts to refugees is based in who we see God to be: “the Lord, the Lord, a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…” (Ex. 34:6) He calls us to be like Him because if we refuse to show mercy to the refugee then we are denying the very principle that we depend on as we appeal to Him. To do so is to saw off the limb we are sitting on (see Matthew 18:23-35, Matthew 6:14-15).

                So why are Christians unwilling to take in Syrian refugees, some of whom are our brothers and sisters in Christ? The reason is clear: They fear that among the legitimate refugees there may be some terrorists infiltrating the US with the intent of carrying out attacks similar to the ones that happened recently in Paris. It is no secret that Daesh and other terrorist organizations wish to inflict massive destruction and carnage among Americans and other European countries which do not bow to Islam, specifically their brand of Islam. Ironically, fear is precisely the response that “terror-ists” want us to have, because fear clouds our reasoning and gives them more power, not just against us but also on the world stage. A knee-jerk response such as the recent isolationist moves by US states and the House of Representatives runs the risk of playing right into the hands of true enemies. Like too many of our foreign policy decisions of the past 14-years (and more!), it is short-term savvy and long-term stupid.

                What are the real risks of accepting a large number of Syrian refugees? Can some of the risk be ameliorated? A thorough treatment of these questions would require a much longer treatment than I can give here, but to ignore these very real questions would be irresponsible.
                As of 2011, roughly 10% of the population of Syria was Christian, more than 70% were Sunni Muslim (including Kurds, Arabs, and others), 16% were non-Sunni Muslims, and there was a small population of citizens of Jewish, Greek and other backgrounds (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Syria; see also http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php for more information). I have not yet found any demographic studies of the refugee population that include religious background. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that the refugee population is diverse, not even of a uniform religious background. In this mix, would it be reasonable to expect that some of the refugees are “wolves in sheep’s clothing”? While it is certainly possible, it would be unlikely to be a preferred method of Daesh for infiltrating the West for two reasons: (1) refugees undergo more scrutiny than those coming short-term as students, businessmen, or tourists (see Scott Hicks’ post on the immigration process for refugees, https://www.facebook.com/BryanScottHicks/posts/1187326084630475?fref=nf) and the risks of being exposed would be much greater than other avenues of entering the US and (2) the whole philosophy of Daesh is to call Muslims from around the world to go to a physical caliphate which is being established in Syria and Iraq. Absence from the physical caliphate would be primarily short-term, and the refugee process at this point in history (as Daesh sees it) would take too long.  It is worth noting the many Daesh recruits who have left Western countries (including the United States) to join the jihad in Syria. There could well be other terrorist organizations which might use this strategy, but Daesh would be more likely to try to radicalize those already in the immigration process. And that is where the real danger could lie: hundreds of thousands of refugees stuck in camps, unable to return home yet with little hope of moving on and beginning life anew: What better recruitment ground could Daesh find? And that is precisely why Daesh doesn’t want the West to take in refugees! This is why refusing to take in legitimate refugees plays right into the hands of our enemies. This is why, while in the short-term it seems safer to close our borders, in the long-term such a response empowers those who hate us and will result in our country being embroiled in continued conflict. So let’s look not just at the risks of accepting refugees, but at the risks of not accepting refugees.

                If security is your concern (as it should be a concern), then ensure that the vetting process is not short-circuited. Carry out good studies on who the refugees are and how to best help them. Provide good English and cultural adaptation training for those who come. Implement a careful (not draconian) follow-up process that makes sure that immigrants are adjusting well and that those who at some point could pose a security threat are flagged early to enough to either help them or (if necessary) revoke their privilege of living in America (or any other host country). There are costs involved, but it might be worth comparing the costs of a well thought-out resettlement program with the costs (in dollars and lives) of protracted war.

                There are other concrete steps that we as Christians can take. First, we need to turn from our fears and start living the compassion that Jesus calls us to. Second, we need to understand the lives and beliefs of those who come to live among us. I have not made some of the naïve theological statements that sometimes litter the political discussion of conflict in the Middle East and terrorist attacks in general: I am under no illusion that “Islam is the same as Christianity” or that “Islam is a religion of peace”. These kinds of statement are uninformed wishful thinking, willful denial in hopes that “tolerance” will make the problem go away. It won’t. On the other hand, we do need to understand that the average Muslim is a human being trying to live their lives faithful to what they understand to be true and good. I highly recommend Georges Houssney’s book, Engaging Islam for a basic understanding of some foundations of Islam and how we can begin to follow Jesus’ command to “Love our neighbor as ourselves” and (if you consider Muslims your enemy - not Georges' position!) how to “love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you”. We must overcome fear and ignorance, the combination of which has led to horrible injustices committed in the name of Christ, and which are at the core of our current isolationist tendencies.

                There is much we can do as a Christian community. I believe each church should prayerfully consider sponsoring and hosting a refugee family. Personal engagement and demonstrating the love of Christ are the most powerful way of overcoming the hate and distrust that fuel the current conflict. And let’s not forget about a very different “IS” already in our cities: International Students. These students are our easiest opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love and show hospitality in ways that could change the world. Of course, there are many other immigrants around us who we can be reaching out to. But if each Christian were to befriend someone from another country and learn about their cultures and beliefs while growing deeper in their own understanding of the Word and of our almighty, loving God, we would have an impact on the world, drastically reducing any dangers we might incur by taking the risk of welcoming refugees.

                I find the timing of the current refugee crisis more than a little ironic: As we approach Christmas, how is it that our hearts are hardened towards people fleeing death and violence? Or have we forgotten about a young couple forced by political whims to travel over 100 miles by foot only to be denied housing just as the woman was about to give birth? Or that same couple with a young child fleeing a murderous tyrant, ending up as political refugees in Egypt? Brothers and sisters, if we refuse to open our hearts to the refugees out of fear that some terrorists might slip in, we would not be shutting out the wolves; we would be shutting out the Lamb. Will He be ashamed at our lack of faith? Will we?

Sunday, November 8, 2015

The Other Son



In Thailand, it is common to say that “All religions are good because they teach people to be good.” There is certainly some truth to this saying, since morality is a part of each religion. However, have you ever considered that sometimes someone’s goodness can actually be an obstacle to the most important things in life?

Jesus told a story about a man who had two sons. One day, the younger son came and asked for his share of the inheritance … while his father was still alive! This request was shocking, since it was about the same as saying he wished the father was dead. However, the father agreed to this request, and not long afterwards the younger son gathered all he had and went to a far-away place and spent all he had on wild living. But as soon as he had run out of money, a famine came over the country and he began to starve. He found a job feeding pigs, but the pay was so bad that the pigs ate better than he did!

When his life got to the lowest point, the younger son “came to his senses”: “Even the hired men at my father’s house get plenty to eat, and here I am starving!” The son decided to return home, apologize, and ask his father to take him on as a hired servant.

Up to this point, it sounds like a good, religious story – ทำดีได้ดี ทำชั่วได้ชั่ว (“Do good and you’ll receive good; do bad and you’ll receive bad.”) Bad kid turns his life around and becomes a good kid. End of story? Not quite – at this point the story changes from religion to good news!

When the father sees the son coming a long way off, he jumps up, runs out to meet him and take him back as a son, unconditionally. There is total forgiveness because the father loves his son and is so glad to have him back. This is the greatest day of the father’s life, so he throws the biggest party the village has ever seen!

But then, the older son comes home from working in the field. The older son, who has been working hard all day every day, who never disobeys his father, the “good boy” who does his duty without fault. And when he hears that the younger son has returned he is livid, and refuses to go in to join the celebration. And can you blame him? How would you feel?

The father has to come out to beg the older son to come in and join the celebration. But the older son castigates his father for receiving “that son of yours” with a large feast. “It’s not fair! You’ve never given me even a little party.” How does the father know the younger son isn’t just back to get more money?

The father responds with patience and love: “My son, you are with me always, and all I have is yours. But when your brother came back we had to celebrate. He was dead and is now alive; He was lost and has now been found.” As far as the father was concerned, it never was about being good; it was all about love. And the father is pleading for the older son to return home!

The problem was that the older son’s heart has been just as far from the father as the younger son. But the father reaches out to the older son, wanting him to ‘return home’. The older son had been obeying the father, but only out of duty and for an eventual reward, not out of love.

What did the father want most of all? He wanted his sons to love him. Did he want them to be good? Oh, yes, but only obedience coming from love, not for duty or reward.

There was a man named Saul who was a religious teacher. He spent all his time studying Thamma of the Jewish people and following the religious rules and practices, and even persecuting those he thought were twisting the right teachings. But then one day he met Jesus, and his whole life changed. He had been like the older brother, but when he knew Jesus’ love and mercy, he knew the only proper response was to love God and follow him. He changed his name to Paul and spent the rest of his life telling others of the Good News of Jesus’ love and mercy. He compared his past experience of religion with his new love for Jesus in a letter: “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Phil. 3:4-8)

Dear reader, do you know that you have a merciful heavenly father who loves you and wants you to know him and enter into a wonderful life together with him? It doesn’t matter if you are more like the younger son or the older son in Jesus’ story: Your heavenly father is waiting with outstretched arms for you to come home and walk in His life of love, peace, hope, and truth.

If you want to know this loving, caring Father, you might want to pray this prayer:

Oh, Heavenly Father, I admit that I don’t know you and that I need you. Please show me yourself and touch my heart. Help me to know your love, and lead me home.

There are people who want to help you know God the Father’s love. One way to contact them (in Thai) is through www.kwamjing.net. There are lessons on this website, and people who can answer your questions and help you find a local group of people who love God and are seeking together to know him more. If you want help finding a local fellowship, contact me and I'll see if I can help.