Refugee
Rally
St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
March
1, 2016
Rev.
Joan M. Maruskin, a Washington, D.C. representative for Church World Service’s
Immigration and Refugee program, refers to the Bible as the “Ultimate
Immigration Handbook.” She states, “The Bible begins with the migration of God’s
Spirit and ends with John in exile on the Isle of Patmos. Between those two
events, the uprooted people of God seek safety, sanctuary, and refuge, and the
living God gives directions for welcoming the stranger.”[1] Indeed, the most well-known Psalm, Psalm 23,
is a song telling of a person making a dangerous trek through unfriendly
country to receive the welcome and hospitality of God. In contrast to the violent and inhospitable
rulers of the day, the activity of God provides hospitality, rest, and
Sabbath. In the city of refuge, the
refugee eats a feast before their enemy.
So for people of the Jewish, Muslim,
and Christian traditions, these stories tell us who we are and define our
spiritual family. Divine action
provides hospitality, rest, and Sabbath to the refugee. What the stories of faith tell us time and
time again is not only the character of divine activity but that we are
strongly tied, related to the immigrant and refugee.
Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, made
immigrants by the command of God, our spiritual ancestors. How can we not know them as our family? (We belong to each other) Jacob and Rachel and Leah, made wandering
Arameans by famine, our spiritual ancestors.
How can we not know them as family?
(We belong to each other.) Naomi
and Orpah and Ruth, forced to migrate as refugees due to famine. How can we not know them as family? (We belong to each other.) Moses and the Children of Israel, made
refugees fleeing oppression, violence, and persecution. How can we not know them as family? (We belong to each other) The people of Judah through warfare and
persecution made refugees in Babylon.
How can we not know them as family?
(We belong to each other) The
Holy Family, Jesus, Mary, and the babe, made immigrants and refugees through
oppression, violence, and persecution.
How can we not know them as our family?
(We belong to each other). These
are our spiritual bloodlines.
In a world where we now know that
the number of refugees around the world has reached nearly 60 million people, how
can we not know our story? How can we
not know each one of these people as our family? (We belong to each other.) It is time we all know ourselves as the
Children of God, in all of our common humanity and divinity, to provide
hospitality, rest, and Sabbath. Who is
your Shepherd? Who is your Shepherd?
At the beginning of the Biblical
story is that rhetorical question which seems to find authority in every age among
those who do not want refugees to settle not only in their communities but
anywhere a hurting and harmed people might find haven and solace. “Am I my sister or brother’s keeper? Why should I be responsible?” Always implicit in that question is a feigned
innocence. For when our foreign and
trade policies create untold suffering and death, when we depose democratically
elected leaders to superimpose violence and death, when we wage wars without
cause and support sectarian leaders, when our greed and remote weaponry create
widows and orphans, a lack of life-giving infrastructure and hopelessness and
loss, in basic good conscience and morality we must acknowledge our
responsibility to the resulting refugee crisis.
Yes, this is our family. We are
responsible. We are the keepers of our
sisters and brothers.
But hear me out. We are told that even if Montana begins to
welcome refugees, it may be two years before the first refugees arrive. So we must, as people of divine character
must begin to prepare. We must discern
whether the empty room in our home might be a place for an individual or a
family. We must discern whether an empty
space in our faith communities might be a place to host an individual or a
family. We must begin to imagine and
plan for the places where refugees might begin to find safe haven and sanctuary
in our community.
Today we meet with common values and hearts to
strengthen and buoy our courage. But
tomorrow we go out into a world that lives in fear. And people who live in fear must be engaged
and hearts must be transformed. We must
risk difficult conversations and courageous action to transform people who
disagree with us and secure the safety of people who are fathers and mothers,
sisters and brothers, daughters and sons.
We know that the hate will never completely disappear in each individual
heart, but we must develop a plan and strategy to transform homes, communities,
and our nation so that the violence is stilled, fear is dispelled, hate might
be lessened, and unarmed truth and unconditional love will carry the day.
Nearly 60 million people are
refugees in the world today. How can we
not know them as family? For we belong
to each other. Amen.
[1] “Sermon Notes:
Welcoming the Stranger,” Rev. Cecil Charles Prescod, Ainsworth United
Church of Christ, April 22, 2007, quoting Rev. Joan Maruskin, “The Bible as the
Ultimate Immigration Handbook.”
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