Start the Conversation:
The Connecting Point:
Our nation’s immigration system is broken, leaving millions of people with an uncertain future about their legal status in the country. And as a result of the Syrian conflict, the world is witnessing the highest levels of human displacement on record.
The Disconnect:
The Internet provides a portal into the reality of humanitarian crises half a world away, but we also become desensitized far too easily. We stop viewing victims of atrocities as valued bearers of “Imago Dei,” and instead as just another image on a screen.
The Reconnect:
Migrants and refugees are no less Image-bearers of the Divine Creator, just like we are. On top of that, God has communicated in His Word that he cares deeply for the vulnerable and calls on His people to care as well.
Keep the Conversation Going:
Question:
Why is it so easy to distance ourselves from humanitarian tragedy?
Communicate:
The Bible is full of references to people movements and migration and specifically instructs his people not to “mistreat or oppress a foreigner.” (Exodus 22).
Our model is Christ. He loved us sacrificially when we were in desperate need for deliverance.
Apply:
As Christians, we can do more than just be informed. We can concern ourselves with the vulnerable because that is God’s heart. We can pray. We cannot bear the world nor its sin but we can bring those burdens and the people involved to the One who has the power to intervene. We advocate on their behalf, and give voice to those who have no voice.
