Driven By Practicality

Jesus demonstrated the stance that we should have as we seek to glorify Him and to minister to the
needs of people. In Mark 6, we can read:
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, "This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat."
37 But He answered and said to them, "You give them something to eat."

We know what happened next: he took 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish and multiplied them so that over 5,000 people were fed.  Notice the admonition of our Lord: YOU give them something to eat.  He was showing the disciples how they could depend on Him to provide for the needs of people.  We have to be careful that we are not looking to other entities - government agencies, our find social service organizations, another person, or another church - to do the the work that you and I are called to do.  And, then criticize them for not doing enough.  We can recalibrate our mindset and allow God to show us how WE can exercise His compassion.

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I believe that sometimes the compassion of Christ can be cloaked by communication that is flawed or misdirected.  In whatever we participate, we have to make sure our compassion in the Lord is shining through. Colossians 3 states:
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;
13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

As I have pointed out before, the immigration issue has become a rather contentious one, not only in the culture at large, but also in the Church.  You have those who want to liberalize immigration and refugee policy and tend to point fingers at those who don't see their way.  And, you have Christians who adhere to the concept of what some call, "wise welcome,:" i.e., being a bit more discerning with regard to the type of people who are brought into the country.  Very few say, as far as I can tell, that no more immigrants or refugees should be brought in.  And, I think that we can all agree that these individuals and families are prime candidates for Christian ministry.

There was concern that the Trump Administration was going to severely reduce, perhaps even down to zero, the number of refugees allowed into America over the next year.  Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, in his capacity as Chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, issued a statement, which stated, according to The Christian Post: “USCIRF is alarmed by reports that the administration is preparing to significantly reduce or even zero out, the number of refugees to be resettled to the United States in FY 2020,” adding, “We strongly urge the administration to extend its admirable commitment to advancing religious freedom to its refugee resettlement policy.”

The number of refugees brought in during the last year was just under 23,000, which has been contrasted with the 85,000 who were admitted during the last year of the Obama Administration.  While Perkins and USCIRF apparently did not set numbers, members of the more progressive Evangelical Immigration Table were calling for a level comparable or in excess of the previous administration.  One Christian organization, World Relief, which receives government funds under the refugee resettlement program, wanted a number of at least 95,000 in the next fiscal year.

Well, the numbers have been announced, and the Administration will admit up to 18,000 refugees during the next year, according to another Christian Post article.  While some will no doubt blame the lower number on the lack of compassion of the Trump Administration, practicality seems to be at play.  The article reports, that according to a White House fact sheet:

“This proposed ceiling takes into account the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis on our border and the massive asylum backlog, which now includes nearly one million individuals,” read the fact sheet in part.

In other words, there has to be a limit, in light of current circumstances. The fact sheet goes on to say: “The overwhelming backlog is completely unsustainable and needs to be addressed before we accept large numbers of refugees.”  Of course, you had the obligatory statement in opposition from World Relief, which has already faced a funding decline as a result of the reduction in refugees.  And, there is a right concern that people facing religious persecution, which is a cornerstone principle of the Trump Administration and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have a place to find refuge.

But, let's take a closer look, through the eyes of the Center for Immigration Studies.  On the organization's website, Nayla Rush writes:

...resettlement is just the tip of the iceberg of refugee protection and as such, it should not be the sole barometer of U.S. humanitarian efforts to assist refugees.

Out of some 26 million refugees worldwide, and the 1.2 million refugees in need of resettlement according to UNHCR, only 81,337 were referred for resettlement in 2018 (0.3 percent of all refugees and 7 percent of those considered to be in need of resettlement), and only 75,188 in 2017. If the United States were to resettle all (some 80,000) that wouldn’t solve the problem of the millions stranded in countries close to their homes. Proximity help and working towards the safe and voluntary return of refugees have been the focus of the Trump administration since day one.

(UNHCR is the United Nations refugee agency.)  The administration, according to this analysis, is attempting to reduce the role of the U.N. agency in dealing with refugees.

So, there is more to the story that you commonly hear through the Evangelical Immigration Table types, who have been critical of the current administration's efforts to fix a broken immigration system and to protect our borders through limiting refugees from nations that are known breeding grounds for terrorists.

And, we have to be careful not to confuse the role of the Church and the role of government. In one Christian Post article, the president of the left-leaning National Association of Evangelicals said, "And so to sum it up, my Christian faith is what calls me to bless and help refugees. And so, I call on our government to bless and help refugees.”  Another article mentioned that the CEO of World Relief said that this reduction “denies safety and freedom to people fleeing religious persecution, war and genocide” and “further dismantles our ability to demonstrate Christ-like hospitality toward the vulnerable.”

Does it?  Or are these just hyper-sensitive talking points?  We have to recognize that the Church can be compassionate in so many ways, including bringing help to refugees in the areas of the world to which they're fleeing and perhaps helping them stay closer to home. While we want a government that is compassionate, we also have to understand the complexities and practicalities of bringing people into our country.  You also have to ask the question: how much is enough?

Opportunities for compassion lie all around us.  Including those who are currently in our country and need assistance.  We can seek to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as He opens doors and opens hearts.

I also thought about the criticism that people who are trying to "fix" a situation encounter.  While most agree that immigration is a major issue and that our current system is broken, cooperation seems to be in short supply.  And, the President's efforts are met with harsh rhetoric about family separation and immigrants in cages, which are by-products of conditions that have apparently existed for years.  You may be in a position to "fix" something - maybe a position on the job, perhaps in attempting to remedy a hurtful church situation, or trying to intervene in a relationship...getting to the solution may be messy, but we can be encouraged to not give up, pray a lot, and depend on God's wisdom.