As I visited a group of Chechen women in a Pension for their weekly German lesson, I mentioned that the Oasis was celebrating World Refugee Week. I explained that we were not celebrating the tragic events and atrocities that have happened to bring them to Austria. But rather we were celebrating refugees - that they are people, not animals (as they sometimes feel they are treated). We were celebrating that refugees are people with as much worth as anyone else. And that they are worthy of respect and honor and dignity. This Chechen woman asked me, "but why? Why is the Oasis here? Why would you do this? It is a different message than the world."
I told her that the God of the Bible loves refugees and He spoke of them often in the Bible as well as widows, and orphans. Her eyes got big and she was very surprised. "Really, God talks about refugees. What does He say?" So I shared with her some and then this week when I visited her I brought her a paper with a list of Bible verses in Russian that she could read for herself what God says.
So what are some things God says about refugees?
Deuteronomy 10:17-19
17 For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. 19 And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.
Leviticus 19:34
34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
Psalm 146:9
9 The LORD watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Matthew 25:35-40
35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
We love refugees and care for them because we are followers of the God of the Bible and He has revealed to us His heart for them.
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