What would it be like to not have a home? To have no country. To be wanted by no country. To be constantly on the move, searching for safety, for food, for water, for stability, ... Or to be trapped in a detention centre for "illegal immigrants" with no hope of ever escaping? Or to be living in a tent in a camp for hundreds of thousands of refugees. Unfortunately, this is reality, day-to-day life, for more than eighty million people. Tragically, this number is growing and unlikely to decrease.
In 2018, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) forecast that 1.4 million refugees would need resettlement in 2019. Yet, only 107,800 were accepted. Only, three countries in the world accepted more than 10,000.
Refugees, internally displaced people, and asylum seekers present a moral and political challenge to our time. They are vulnerable and suffering. Yet, rather than receiving empathy or practical help from wealthy Western nations, refugees too often are demonised as threats to the security, prosperity, and culture of Western nations. I am ashamed of how Australia has "led" the way in this regard, particularly with policies of detaining asylum seekers in offshore detention camps.
At the theology reading group this month we discussed Refuge Reimagined: Biblical Kinship in Global Politics, by Mark Glanville and Luke Glanville.
One of the many strengths of the book is the complementary expertise of the authors, two brothers. Mark is an Old Testament scholar who is also actively involved in helping settle refugees in Vancouver. (This is through the organisation Kinbrace that emerged through Grandview Baptist church and is also discussed in Tim Dickau's book that we recently read). Luke is a scholar of international relations and provides a global political perspective on displaced peoples. As a result, the book has depth in both theology and in political science, which is unfortunately rare in Christian books about political issues. The arguments are laced with references to the academic literature on Old Testament scholarship and on global politics, but the book is still easy to read.
There is a beautiful section on how to interpret the Old Testament ethically today, using a jazz metaphor (page 49). (Both authors are accomplished jazz musicians). Jazz is a rich tradition, but each performance is unique. Performers respond to the local context, creating something new, but rooted in tradition. Similarly, the Old Testament represented and shaped a rich tradition in the communal life of ancient Israel. The translation and application of this tradition to modern life in churches and secular nations is not straightforward but can be rich and beautiful. Ethics for today should respect and draw from that tradition, but adapt creatively.
In the first half of the book, Mark argues persuasively how the concept of "festive kinship" is central to the Old Testament, particularly in Deuteronomy. Kinship is not defined by bloodline or ethnicity, but rather by a community characterised by obedience to God's commands. In particular, this community enfolds the resident alien.
A natural question is how this concept of kinship fits with the Old Testament narratives that describe how Israel is commanded by God to "devote to destruction" the Canaanites? (pages 55-59). The texts actually show that Canaanites can be Israelites (e.g., Rahab the prostitute who acknowledged the works of YHWH and in faith protected the spies) and Israelites can be Canaanites (e.g., Achan who stole devoted things from Jericho). Being Israelite (Canaanite) is not defined by bloodline but rather by obedience (disobedience) to YHWH.
Jesus further expands kinship to include those on the margins: Samaritans, prostitutes, "sinners", tax collectors, ... He shares meals with them. In fact, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus spends more time eating than teaching! (page 78). Some do repent but this is not a pre-requisite for joining the meal (page 79). Jesus' community is defined by its centre rather than by its boundaries (page 94). This contrasts with the Pharisees and many churches today that define themselves by who is in and who is out and by what they are against rather than what they are for.
Jesus proclaims "forgiveness of sins". There are several different Greek words that are translated into English as "forgiveness". Some actually mean "release" in the sense of release from oppression (pages 85, 86, 101).
The Deuteronomy feasting texts are characterised by a four-part movement: lament-gift-thanksgiving-inclusive justice. The purpose is to "forge and inclusive and celebrative community in light of the generosity of God." (p. 107).
"The festal call to thanksgiving with inclusive celebration highlights the importance of the distinctive life of a missional congregation." Howard Peskett and Vinoth Ramachandra note, "Mission is not primarily about going. Nor is mission primarily about doing anything. Mission is about being. It is about being a distinctive kind of people, a countercultural ... community among the nations." (p. 110).
Careful consideration is given to a number of commonly stated fears and claims that opponents express about the impact that Western nations accepting more refugees will have on security, economics, and culture. (pp. 168-178).
The scale of the problem is daunting. There are about 45 million internally displaced people, and more than 26 million refugees. Most refugees are in poor countries such as Uganda, Bangladesh, and Lebanon. Yet, somehow these countries care for them as best they can. For example, in Lebanon schools are running double shifts as there are as many Syrian children as Lebanese needing and education! This makes a mockery of the greed and xenophobia of wealthy Western nations who are unwilling to bear the cost, risk, and inconvenience of caring for tens of thousands of refugees.
That's enough for now...
This is a wonderful and challenging book that I pray will stimulate some significant action, particularly among Western churches.
John Dickson also has an excellent podcast episode in which he interviews the authors and a refugee. The associated webpage also has links to relevant materials.
On the subject of refugees and the value of small individual acts of kindness, Malcolm Gladwell has a powerful podcast episode.
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