The crisis isn’t over. Refugees are still in drastic need of help. The good news is there are many ways that we can get involved. But first, we need to choose to love without borders.
Green: Look up the Welcome Churches website and send the link to your church leader.
Amber: Donate to a refugee charity or a local program that helps refugees find work in your area.
Red: Serve with a charity helping refugees. You can sign up to a volunteer trip online, or serve in other ways (like spreading the word at home).
“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NIV)
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What does the Lord require of you?
Immigration. It’s almost become a dirty word in today’s world. And the debates aren’t just kept to Westminster; we can find them in our churches as well. Who should we let in? What about the housing crisis? How can you be sure they really are refugees anyway? Don’t we need to look after ‘our own’? These are all questions I’ve been asked as I’ve travelled round the country, speaking to churches about how they can welcome refugees and asylum seekers into their communities. These are all worthwhile debates to be had, and I don’t envy the politicians who need to make the decisions on such big issues. But, for God’s church, I think they miss the point.
As the well-known verse in Micah 6:8 sums up so nicely: ‘[W]hat does the Lord require of you?’ (emphasis mine). How can you, as a follower of Jesus, demonstrate the culture of his kingdom to your community? At Welcome Churches, we believe that every local church has a responsibility to play a part in welcoming refugees and asylum seekers arriving in the UK.
As we do this, we have the privilege of getting to know incredible people from across the world who have faced severe injustice. We have the opportunity to give justice back to them and to show mercy. Our lives are changed as we look beyond ourselves to the needs of others. And we are humbled in our walk with God as we get to know a ‘refugee’ by name.
What does the Lord require of you today?
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