Let Love Concur Fear

I have been saddened and overwhelmed with news about the Syrian refugees.  It is difficult for me to fathom being in a situation where the only choice is to flee everything one knows – home, family, culture, country – with only what one can carry into an unknown and uncertain future, except for the hope that it will be safer.  It is mind boggling to me that millions – MILLIONS – of people around the world (not just Syrians) make that choice every year due to civil war, autocrats and oppression. From my safe tower in the west, I could easily judge or turn a blind eye, but I can’t.  As a follower of Jesus Christ, I have promised to seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving my neighbor as myself.  There is nothing in that statement that says I must vet them before loving them.
The rhetoric around this situation is deep and thick, pitting one side against another of whether or not the USA should allow refugees into our country.  Fear, rage and judgement rule all sides of this argument, and I am just as guilty as anyone.  I believe in the overall goodness of people, and I suppose that makes me naïve, but I would rather cling to my naïveté than be motivated by fear. I choose to heed Jesus’ call to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” (Mat. 10:16) I believe that the current process of vetting that takes on average 18 months allows enough time for this direction to be meet.  I don’t believe additional structure will make us any safer but they will make us look more fearful, which is what terrorists what. 
There is no way to insure that none of the refugees from anywhere in the world don’t have an ulterior motive, even ideas of terrorism.  But we also know that there are people who already live in this country who commit acts of terrorism at movie theaters and Planned Parenthood offices.  That makes me more concerned than any supposed threat from a refugee. 
As we continue our Advent journey, we have the opportunity to reflect on the refugees we follow in the Bible – Abraham, Jacob, Mary, Joseph and Jesus, to name a few.  Mary and Joseph were homeless the night Jesus was born and yet were taken in by an innkeeper (yes, he was a good guy as he offered them a barn rather than an overcrowded hall!).  In the second chapter of Matthew we are told how the holy family fled to Egypt to escape the cruelty of King Herod.  They were refugees for a while before returning home to Nazareth.  What do these stories mean?  Are the circumstances mentioned in these stories much different from what is happening today?   How do we respond to them spiritually as well as emotionally? 
Let us remember that when the angel Gabriel comes to Mary, the first thing he says is, “Do not be afraid.”  Our default response to an unexpected or unknown stimulus is fear, but that doesn’t have be our only reaction.  When we quell our fear, we can feel curiosity as well as compassion.  Rather than just being motivated by self-preservation, we can offer the other the opportunity to be known rather than feared. 
A Prayer for Refugees – from Episcopal Migration Ministries
Almighty and Loving God, you who have crossed the boundaries of Heaven and Earth to be with your people, visit those who must flee their homes because of violence and oppression and lead them to a land of safety. We give thanks to you, Source of All Being, that you hear our prayers on behalf of our refugee brothers and sisters. We thank you that love swallows fear, that in your compassion we learn to walk with those who suffer, that when we give of ourselves we receive far more, and that when we receive those who stand knocking at our doors, we receive Christ the Beloved One. May all praise, glory and honor be to our God, the Most High. Amen.
In Christ,

Rev. Valerie+

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