Does the Bible Say Refugees Are My Enemies or My Neighbors?
Merely put, the best way of Christ doesn’t name us to select and select who’s worthy of mercy. He expects us to stroll in the identical motion and angle as he does, not within the minimums of Christian rhetoric. His Phrase is obvious: our position is whole-hearted sacrifice reflecting an keen and deep devotion to the One who sacrificed himself for us. In reality, that is Gospel 101, verified by extra biblical passages than one might presumably match into such a brief house.
However aren’t we permitted to have political views unrelated to our obedience and devotion to Christ? Biblically, the reply might sound shocking in our present local weather: it’s a transparent “no.” We should always be thankful for and good stewards of our civic freedoms and duties, however our devotion to political viewpoints should pale compared to our devotion to the biblical methods of Christ, and people methods are unambiguous on the subject of our attitudes towards folks like immigrants and refugees. “He upholds the reason for the oppressed and offers meals to the hungry. The Lord units prisoners free, the Lord provides sight to the blind, the Lord lifts up those that are bowed down… the Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow.”[1] Much more surprising, God says, “Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters have been smug, overfed and unconcerned; they didn’t assist the poor and needy.”[2]
Moreover, no political get together or determine who merely, maybe even convincingly, claims to be dashing to the protection of Christ or his methods exempts us from being devoted to weigh their attitudes and actions towards these very methods, simply as we might do with anybody we observe who additionally claims to be following Christ. The truth is, if those that declare to symbolize Jesus sound nothing like him, keep away from or refuse to do the identical works he does— or dare or not it’s stated, proudly show a disposition oppositional to Jesus’s —then we should always not abide of their teachings or management. Does such a press release maintain up biblically? The Apostle John opined: “Whoever claims to dwell in him should dwell as Jesus did.”[3] There are few phrases as broad as “whoever,” leaving little wiggle room for reinterpretation. If dwelling as Jesus did just isn’t our full-throated, full-hearted intention, then the simple reply is just not to say we dwell in him—that’s, to not declare that we immolate and take our marching orders from him.
The Apostle Paul can be accused of being the “tone police” if he have been to write down within the current day what he penned to the Philippians some two thousand years in the past: “You could have the similar angle that Christ Jesus had.”[4] In different phrases, we merely can not declare that insurance policies eclipse attitudes within the eyes of God. Sure attitudes could also be politically expedient, but when these in political energy don’t even try and assume, act, or deal with the poor as Christ did (and does), we should always not proclaim their attitudes or actions as being of the Christian persuasion. Every of us should reconcile ourselves to the politics we select, however we should always relaxation assured that the God we serve won’t ever reconcile his Kingdom to the politics of lesser kings. There shall be just one King. Such statements shouldn’t anger us; they need to invigorate us, reminding us of the Supply of our true life! That is the nice a part of the Good Information. In spite of everything, in Christ’s Kingdom, we are the foreigners and refugees for whom he cares so effectively (Ephesians 2:19).
A preferred sentiment exists at present: “I’m not electing a pastor. I’m electing a president (or senator, governor, and so on.).” More true phrases have by no means been spoken, but when they’re true, we should always cease ascribing pastoral traits (or worse) to the folks we’re electing (i.e.,“He alone is God’s man for the job,” “God wants him to avoid wasting our nation,” and so on) Simply let the elected officers be our flesh pressers, a noble occupation. But when additionally they declare to be non secular leaders (or we proclaim them to be), then they have to be judged by the identical scriptural requirements we use to guage elders and church leaders, and rightly so.
As soon as our angle and actions, governmental or in any other case, have been positioned into the class of “Christian,” they have to mirror the merciful method of Christ. That is the irrefutable litmus take a look at. We will communicate or sing phrases of reward all we would like, however as Martin Luther noticed, “God desires to be praised by means of works of mercy.”[5] Once more, if there are not any works of mercy to be discovered, name it no matter you need—even help it, for those who really feel you should. Simply don’t name it “Christian.” And when you cease calling it “Christian,” it might be simpler to grapple with the tensions of what it really is, maybe arriving at a extra goal analysis that’s arduous to come back by when one thing has an arbitrary divine seal of approval hooked up to it. Dallas Willard factors out these clear and divine demarcations: “Now mirror: Has your coronary heart gone out in beneficiant blessing to somebody who has insulted or humiliated you? Can you’re employed with out considered acquire for the well-being of somebody who overtly despises you, perhaps has informed you to drop lifeless? Are you enthusiastically pulling for the success of somebody competing with you for favor, place, or monetary acquire? That’s what these possessed and permeated by God’s form of love discover themselves doing.”[6]
Sure, I notice this isn’t the favored chorus among the many populist motion that’s, at occasions, driving nearly all of Christian sentiment in America at present. However the Bible implores us to: “Communicate up for individuals who can not communicate for themselves, for the rights of all who’re destitute. Communicate up and choose pretty; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”[7] Once more, attempt to fathom the breadth of “all who’re destitute.” We now have work to do—and it is the proper of labor. Such a posture means we have to be extra involved with righteous, simply, and humble dwelling earlier than our humble King (Matthew 11:29) than avoiding drained and predictable accusations of “wokeness.” The low-hanging indictment of wokeness is a obscure, indefinable distraction, whereas God’s name to the merciful therapy of these in want couldn’t be clearer. As a lot as it’s doable, we’re to like our neighbors indiscriminately as outlined by Christ within the parable of the Good Samaritan. This echoes John Wesley’s ardour to: “Do all the nice you possibly can, by all of the means you possibly can, in all of the methods you possibly can.”[8]
