Christian response to migrant hatred?

[HushTheNoise]

I live near a town which has experienced a massive rise in hatred for migrants. As an evangelical Christian, I would probably be seen by some as being 'right wing' in some of my views including importance of family life etc but I do not condone these racist attitudes at all. I believe in welcoming those who are fleeing war and persecution, as well as those who want to make a better life for their families. I do think some of the anger should be directed at government for things getting out of control administratively. Also universities are partly to blame for selling overseas people a myth that a British degree is the way to a great life here (when it's really just to prop the unis up). People are scared and angry and latching on to anything including some crazy far right groups.
What do you see as a practical Christian response?

This is a topic I feel very passionately about - because of that I almost scrolled past because I don't want to get into arguments with people who might have a different view. But I'll go for it.

This article covers pretty much my perspective.

sojo.net/22-bible-verses-welcoming-immigrants

Excellent Bible verses ChristianStars. I'm bookmarking those!

Thank you!

Thanks for that, a great resource to counteract things going on round about. I'll look more at that website.

You're welcome @HushTheNoise I hope you find it helpful.

Thank you for this. I have just read it and it's brought tears to my eyes.

Bless you.

I feel like it helps us remember that the people talked about on the news are humans loved by God.

A beautiful reminder that we are all God's children. Thank you once again for posting. I needed this. X

Thank you for writing my sermon for next week. Well not exactly but I will be using a lot of those verses woven into my sermons.

Jesus loved us enough to die for us, surely we should love others enough to welcome them.

Beautiful.

In a horrible turn of events, a migrant has stalked our lovely lady vicar, and a couple of weeks ago attacked her outside the church. She is a dear friend to me and I went to go and see her a few days after. I actually cried when I saw her poor face and bruised arms, but she told me 'please pray for him. Pray that he will get the help he needs and will see a better way to live. He just needs to feel God's love'. The fact that she still says Jesus welcomed everyone and so do I even though her ribs were broken and I had to help her stand and walk showed what a beautiful soul she has.
The saddest thing is, she is the sort that would have welcomed anyone into her church, would've made him tea and fed him, pointed him in the right direction to certain services, had nothing against people like him, yet he sought her out and targeted her makes me so upset.

What an amazing gracious response from your friend @Thedoorisalwaysopen

I know. I was actually sobbing. It makes me so upset to think that she was lying hurt in the churchyard for almost an hour before being found, on a Friday night when all of us her friends were enjoying our evenings. It's shaken our whole parish.
Don't get me wrong, she has been angry too and she is deeply traumatised. I went to see her yesterday and take some things to her and she was crying in her study, saying how angry she was that she had been targeted. But she has never once tarred all migrants with the same brush. She says (and I do agree) that the fact he is a migrant is inconsequential as there are misogynistic men who like to scare and attack women from any demographic. It could just as easily have been a white British man who for whatever reason had extreme views about female priests.
What is scary is that while the man has now been identified, he hasn't been caught.

So sorry to hear about your friend. Praying she makes a full recovery. An asylum seeker was convicted of rape near me which is horrendous. However, male violence against women and girls is everywhere, from every demographic. People of all colours need to be reminded/ taught if necessary how to treat women/ any other people. I'm genuinely not sure what the answer is, but leaving people with nothing to do in a substandard 'hotel ' is not it. Not sure how explicitly they are taught about how to behave, eg bare minimum legal but also cultural ' norms' or how not to act threateningly. Maybe this is where Christians could make an impact.

Isn’t the notion that people from other cultures or ethnicities need to be “taught” (by ‘western’ Christians) how to behave towards women and children a bit racist?🫣

I’m sure it’s unintentional but it does come across like that 🤔

The pp specifically said people of all colours - I can't see anything wrong in saying everyone needs to be reminded how to treat women, since crimes against women are committed by people of all demographics. If there were no such crimes committed we wouldn't need to push the message so much.

Apologies if it sounded wrong, I include Western men, including white men of non UK heritage in that. There is a societal issue with male behaviour and the influences on them. This goes wider than migrants and asylum seekers. There are plenty of Christian men who have lost their way too. It all feels quite overwhelming, hence thinking of practical ways to try to re ground myself and not feel so helpless. The Bible verses are good.

@HushTheNoise Do people hate migrants? I'm not sure they do, but there is a conflating of different scenarios going on. 1) Legal migrants who are here to work and contribute to society; 2) people genuinely seeking asylum and fleeing for their lives (but then I sort of get the pov that surely the first country of safety would be good enough?); 3) see link below regarding illegal immigrants - people arriving here, illegally, for nefarious reasons - and we know they are mainly young men, of fighting age, who are of different religions and cultures that will never want to embrace a western 'christian' ethic or culture. It is the latter that, I feel, is behind people's natural fears and objections. https://www.gotquestions.org/illegal-aliens-immigrants.html

Thank you @ChristmasStars for the link and a reminder of what the Bible says.

What do you see as a practical Christian response? To show Christ, to share Him, to use the Fruits of the Spirit and to use the brains that God gave us.

How awful for your friend. I hope she soon heals from the physical harm done and that God grants her grace and the peace that passes all understanding. I also hope that the culprit is found and has to face the consequences of his actions.

How should a Christian respond to illegal immigrants? The same way we respond to anyone else—love and compassion. The Bible is filled with instructions to demonstrate care for the poor, destitute, and distressed (Exodus 22:21; Matthew 25:31–45; Galatians 2:10; James 1:27; 2:15–16). While we should never do anything to promote, enable, or excuse illegal immigration; we should do everything we possibly can to demonstrate the love of Christ to the illegal immigrants themselves.

This is such an interesting quote @Thegreatestoftheseislove thank you. I feel like some people are fearful of immigrants and that leads to an unhelpful and ungodly reaction, while this does encourage us to demonstrate the love of Christ.

The term illegal immigrant is a bit problematic anyway I think, because I'm not sure many of us really know when to apply it and it can be used for people who are not illegal immigrants. But that's a whole different thread and I love this reminder in your post to love people and care for the poor and destitute. It's quite a challenge to all of us, isn't it?

Thank you. There is a long road ahead. I saw her this morning and I said how her bruises looked better and she started crying and said 'that is the easy part to heal'. It's just horrible. She said she will take Mass this Sunday though. She is so brave.

It's quite a challenge to all of us, isn't it?

Yes, I agree.

Referring to another thread on here about the Rapture and being in end times, I am aware we are in the middle of spiritual warfare and 'all this', I feel is part of all that. However, the bottom line is we must remember we are all created in God's image, even those doing either knowingly, or unknowingly, the devil's work. As you say, it is definitely a challenge.

You mention the end times and that’s what comes to my mind most of all when thinking about the current state of almost every ‘western’ country.

When asked about the end of the age, our Lord prophesied that
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.”
Matthew 24:7a

It interests me that the word used for “nation” is ἔθνος : ethnos

The parallel passage in Revelation is the opening of the second seal, the Red Horse,

“Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.”
Revelation 6:4

I believe we are on the cusp of seeing this ethnic conflict erupt.

Having carefully observed the work of Professor David Betz I’m in no doubt about this and am preparing accordingly.

How are you preparing please? @LeaningOnTheEverlastingArms

I'd not previously heard of him, but goodness, he is very interesting ...