I’m sad knowing that Christians, despite the constant biblical theme of blessing the stranger, still want limits on welcoming refugees and immigrants. Cultural misconceptions about refugees in particular are just as common among Christ-followers in Canada as they are in wider society. This at a time of unprecedented need for churches to open their arms to refugees, both those who are sponsored overseas and those who walk across our border and ask for protection.
I’m sad because I see us clinging to cultural power. As someone who has communicated with churches for the past five years, I can tell you that nothing mobilizes church people faster than a threat to our cultural power. Some of these perceived threats have been genuine causes for concern, and some . . . less so. But regardless, I lament that it’s not usually self-denying love of “the poor, the widow, the orphan and the stranger” that stirs us to rapid action, but threats to our own freedom.