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

Here is Life

The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about, nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived. - Søren Kierkegaard. 

“Here is Life” is an organization in Uganda started by Isaac, a northern Ugandan man in his 70s, along with a few other Aringa Christians who fled from their country to Sudan in the 1980s. Now back in Uganda, this group of former refugess runs Here is Life in order to help South Sudanese refugees. They’ve built latrines, helped with local community development and participated in peacemaking efforts. They want their work to show the love of Jesus to whomever they meet. Here is Life is a name that declares hope in Christ and shares that hope with others. It commits to the hard work of rebuilding life for themselves and for others, day by day, wherever they are.

Across the world, a church in Canada was deciding on whether or not to support a Syrian refugee family. The congregation was split, some in full support, others actively resisting the idea. Then, a wildfire ripped through the city and almost the whole city had to evacuate their homes. When the church next met, something unexpected happened. Instead of tabling the discussion until they could recover from their own crisis, the church decided to support the Syrian family. What’s more, the opposition to it completely melted away. The church was connected to the family in their loss and instead said here is life. They would build new life among the ashes for themselves––and for others.

Like our sisters and brothers in Uganda and Canada, we welcome our new neighbors because in it is life. Jesus said, “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,” (John 10:10). Throughout scripture, we see a God who has a heart for the foreigner. In Ezekiel, God tells the Israelites to treat the foreigner as native-born Israelites and to include them in their inheritance (47:22-23). We welcome because in it here is life. Life for them and life for us. Like we said on the first day, we are for them. Why? Because here is life means:

Overcoming real concerns and fears with truth and love.

God so welcomes us that we welcome each other.

When we welcome others, we welcome God.

We are very welcomed.

We are very welcoming.

Here is life.

Practice:

Take time to reflect on this past study. 

• What changes have you experienced inwardly? 
• What action steps have you taken toward welcoming our new neighbors? 
• What is one tangible way you can continue to build connections with refugee and immigrants? (i.e. volunteer with a local organization, pray through news headlines, etc.)