You Welcomed Me: Seven Days to Better Welcoming Refugees and ImmigrantsSample

Real Concerns

Where there is love and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. - Francis of Assisi 

There are real concerns around welcoming refugees and immigrants. What is not helpful is ignoring or flippantly negating these concerns - whether in ourselves or others. However, we desire our lives to be motivated by love, not dictated by fear. We can look at these concerns and the concerns of those around us and ask if they are based in worrisome fact or false fears.  As followers of Christ,  we believe that “there is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18). Additionally, Paul reminds us that “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline,” (1 Tim. 1:7). In the KJV, self-discipline translates as “sound mind.” Both translations are helpful. The Spirit gives us the self-discipline to check our fears and a sound mind to move forward in wisdom, power, and love.

Much of the fear around welcoming refugees and immigrants has to do with change. When we welcome new neighbors, change will happen. But change is the price of a love that welcomes. While we welcome, it’s also okay to mourn the things that will change. We can choose to lament the loss instead of using the loss to fuel anger. Lament can lead us into the beauty of what is next. 

Yes, it takes risks to welcome and help someone but we risk more if we don’t: our humanity. As we continue to bring our fears to the light of the Truth and welcome our new neighbors, we begin to more and more reflect the vision in Revelation of the great, uncountable, diverse, multi-national, multi-lingual multitude before the Lamb (Rev. 7:9). 

Acknowledge your fears, lament what you need, and move toward love in wisdom.

Practice:

Ask yourself if you feel any concerns or fear around refugees and immigrants. Why? Take time to listen. Confess them honestly and seriously. Then see if the concerns are confirmed, altered, or chased out by truth and love.

Have a conversation about one or more of these concerns at church, in your community or within your family. Approach these conversations with grace not judgement (for others and yourself).