Fundamental to any definition of spirituality is that it can never be something that can be isolated from the rest of our existence.
David Bosch[1]
Books such as this come out of the turmoil of one’s spirituality when the question is what does it mean to be a follower of Christ and a people of God in a world where large numbers of people are forcibly displaced and where others migrate because they are seeking to live life with dignity, something they have been denied. There are competing narratives of why people move and how they should be treated. Unfortunately, an increasing trend towards racism and xenophobia is emerging in many contexts, and the demand to close the borders to unwanted foreigners has become a rallying cry of many people and politicians. There is a very real fear that the present refugee crisis and the increase in migration is leading to terrorism, crime, and a diluting of what people perceive to be their national identity. Others welcome a pluralistic society and the diversity of cultures and experiences it brings, and they embrace it. They see the migration of peoples from one land to another as an inevitable reality of the globalized world we live in.
Does the Bible have anything to say about migration and displacement and how refugees, migrants, and the stateless should be treated? This book is written not only as a work of practical theology but also as a resource for churches and organizations that are seeking to help people impacted by displacement. It is meant to provide a nuanced biblical and theological understanding of how God sees the foreigner and why he is concerned for their well-being, and stories and case studies aim to put a human face to the theology and the biblical studies.
Chapter 1, the introduction, lays the foundation for what will be discussed in the book. A main problem refugees, migrants, and the stateless face is that they find themselves in a place where they do not belong. While in many cases they used to have a home and an identity, their displacement has robbed them of both. They used to be able to meet their own needs, but now they are in unfamiliar places where they struggle to provide for themselves and their families, often while feeling unwanted by the communities around them. Meeting physical needs is critically important, but a compassionate response to those who are displaced must go beyond providing shelter and material needs. They need help to find a way to belong. They need a place to call home again. Chapter 2 looks at the reality of displacement today and identifies the legal definitions that categorize primary categories of displaced peoples. This technical knowledge is essential to the discussion because it gives insight to the specific situations of the displaced, what their needs are, and how their suffering should be addressed.
Chapter 3 focuses on biblical teachings by exploring the issue of the vulnerable foreigners in ancient Israel and the laws established to govern their treatment. Chapter 4 looks at the issue of the foreigners and migrants in first-century Palestine who had no social networks to help them in times of need and Jesus’s teachings and example of how they should be treated. We then look at how the early church engaged with those who were in need among them and those outside their community.
Chapter 5 frames the theological issue of displacement and the problem of not belonging. Chapter 6 explores the missiological dimensions of ministering to those who are displaced. The model here is in the incarnation, God entering into a world of turmoil and evil because he cares about what happens to the people he created. He feels deeply about how evil has warped his creation; rather than walking away and excluding them from his presence, he embraces them and provides them the opportunity of experiencing his care, mercy, and compassion.
Chapter 7 looks at various ministries to the displaced, specifically in local churches. Some of the examples and case studies in this chapter from the Middle East, Europe, and Canada are based on the experiences of both of us and our colleagues. The geographic focus entails no intention of diminishing the excellent work being done by NGOs, mission agencies, churches, and individuals in other parts of the world. Displacement is a global reality, and many examples exist of outstanding responses by faith communities. However, the recent crisis in the Middle East has challenged churches to become directly involved in addressing the humanitarian needs of refugees on a scale not seen in recent memory. We want to highlight the fact that local churches, and not just international NGOs and local civil society, do have a place in ministering to people in need.
At the end of each chapter are questions that a church or group reflecting on the issues in this book could discuss. Chapter 7 provides some guidelines for local churches who would like to minister to refugees and the stateless. However, this book is not a manual on how to minister to the displaced. There are excellent resources available from the United Nations and other organizations on the specific details of how to respond to the needs of refugees and the stateless, and some of these are listed in chapter 7. The objective of this book is to look at Scripture and our world and to think theologically about what is required from God’s people to reveal the hidden kingdom and the God we worship, especially to those who have no place to call home. The focus of this book is understanding those who have lost their homes, fled their countries, and lost their identity in the process, and how to help them find another place they can call home and experience the blessings of God.
Quite a bit has been written about migrants, ministering to migrants, and migrant churches. Rather than trying to duplicate existing work, this book will primarily look at the need for migrants to belong again and find a new home – the same need of refugees and the stateless. This is by no means a comprehensive theological study, but we do aim to facilitate discussion and encourage faith communities to seize the opportunities to be a light of Christ in the face of a massive crisis.
Our prayer for you and us in the work we do among the poor, the refugees, and others who have lost their sense of home and feel like they do not belong, is Psalm 90:17:
May the favour of the Lord our God rest on us;
establish the work of our hands for us –
yes, establish the work of our hands.