The Blessing of Refugee Status
by Jason Thompson
A few years ago, a group of us were wondering through our neighborhood in the south of Hamburg, Germany praying when we came across a park where we had spent summers picnicking. What was once the center of hanging out in our neighborhood was being transformed into a village. Containers for housing among other things were being moved in. In the past, such containers are set up for the homeless in winter as it is far too cold here to live on the streets during that time of the year. However, these containers were not for the homeless that Germany was accustomed to. It was for a new homelessness that would flood Germany. None of us knew what was coming and how greatly what was to come would change our ministry and lives. The “village” that was being built, one of so many in Germany at the time was constructed to house several hundreds of refugees fleeing the brutality of ISIS and civil war within Syria. Over time, people from other nations in the Middle East and eastern Europe as well were gathered together in this refugee camp just down the street from our home. Almost overnight, those from distant countries became our neighbors. Neighbors of whom after perilous travel across land and sea, the stress of government interviews and the months of simply waiting are hoping to be given refugee status here. To be given refugee status here in Germany is considered by those who seek it, to be blessed. It is with the blessing of these new neighbors for over two years that we have discovered both in Scripture and experience, God’s heart for refugees.
The Bible is replete regarding God’s heart towards refugees and the expectations He has of His people towards them.
Exodus 23:9 “You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, seeing you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
Deuteronomy 10:19 Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Not only does Scripture make quite clear God’s heart towards refugees but the Father took things a step further by identifying his own Son with refugees. The birth of Jesus details the plight of a family seeking refuge both prior and following his birth. His own parents, trying to find safe haven in Bethlehem for his birth were told time and again that there was no place for them and shortly thereafter Jesus’ family fled with him to live the life of a refugee in Egypt to escape the tyranny of Herod. Jesus, the Son of God knew life as a refugee.
It is the mandate of a Jesus follower to love, serve and identify with refugees. In fact this identification begins with acknowledging that you are yourself to be a refugee. The Psalmist put it this way….
Psalm 34:8
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Refugee status is a blessed status. As we seek and find in the Lord our refuge, we are then able to love and serve those who seek refuge from war, poverty and injustice. I am hoping that my own refugee status in the Lord will make me a blessing to those who seek refuge in my neighborhood.
© Jason Thompson 2021
