Finding Family in Faith: Refugees and Community Support
God sets the solitary in families;
Psalm 68:6a (NKJV)
This past Easter Sunday, two U.S. Army soldiers visited together after the worship service. It’s a common sight, at a military chapel, but this meeting was far from ordinary. *Bob and Henry were both born in another country, one that is not an ally of the U.S. When they each became United States citizens, their home country revoked their citizenship; they can’t return there, at least for the foreseeable future.
When Nancy and I walked by, there were Bob and his wife, plus Bob’s mom, who is still a citizen of her home country, and Henry, a single soldier, who was holding the couple’s two year-old son. The group was circled up, talking in their native language. My immediate thought was, “This is family and the family of God.”
Next, I thought of my friend Matt, from Jesusluvsall, who serves as a home missionary in his native Nebraska. He helps refugees who’ve come to the U.S. seeking asylum. Many of them fled war-torn countries, with little more than the clothes on their backs, not knowing when, or even if they can ever return home.
My heart is especially with a group of Christians from the Ukraine who have started a church in their new home city. According to Matt, the congregation called New Breath, is growing. This is despite the fact that these brothers and sisters in Christ only have temporary sanctuary in the United States.
But God is their first refuge and resource.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Proverbs 18:10 (NKJV)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 (NIV)
Kind reader, as the devotional book, Streams in the Desert, pointed out this morning, “We can be of little use to others without a cost to ourselves.” Will you join me in praying for our brothers and sisters from other countries who are now living here in America? God may also lead you to support them in other ways, as my wife and I have.
Thank you for reading. ayers and love.
* not their real names.
The Stigma Stops Here
David Duncan is an ordained Southern Baptist minister turned elementary school administrator. He and his wife have three grown sons, but no grandchildren. They live in the Midwestern United States, with their Schnauzer, Cooper. David blogs at davidsdailydose.org, where he shares positive thoughts from a Christian perspective.
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