REV. PAUL PEREZ
DAC Director of Mission & Justice Engagement
Over the weekend Bishop Deb appealed to United Methodists to welcome refugees into our churches and communities in Michigan.
Out of my own study and conversations over the past few days, I have compiled some resources for prayer, reflection, and action to assist you and your congregation to respond to the Bishop’s call in thoughtful ways.
Here are few resources for reflection and study:
- I encourage you to prayerfully reflect on the United Methodist Resolution Immigrants and Refugees: To the Love the Sojourner which summarizes United Methodist social teaching on immigration and refugee resettlement.
- Take a moment to explore Beyond Bethlehem: Hope for Refugees at Christmas, a joint effort by UMCOR, Cokesbury and Ginghamsburg UMC.
- Learn more about the refugee security screening process by reading Security Screening of Refugees Admitted to the United States: A Detailed, Rigorous Process. It is a reminder that refugees are the most-vetted non-citizens in the U.S.
For those who feel led to advocate and act for the wellbeing of all refugees, here are a few things you can do:
- Bishop Deb asked that we join her in calling Gov. Snyder, Senator Stabenow, Senator Peters, and our respective Representatives to voice our support for Syrian refugee resettlement in the state of Michigan. Calls are still needed.Last week the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 4038, The American Security against Foreign Enemies Act, which refugee advocates believe will halt the resettlement of Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The Senate will likely vote on similar legislation next week, and the House will likely continue to vote on additional similar legislation. Refugee funding has also been threatened as members are working on an Omnibus appropriations bill that must be passed by December 11th.Look up how your Representative voted for H.R. 4038 and then call your Senators and Representatives at 202-224-3121.In addition, please sign the petition from Church World Service calling on U.S. leaders to stop opposition to resettlement in the United States. Church World Service partners with the UMC in refugee resettlement work.
- Attend an informational meeting on refugee resettlement sponsored by the Detroit Annual Conference and Lutheran Social Services of Michigan on December 9th, 2015 at Newburg United Methodist Church (36500 Ann Arbor Trl Livonia 48150) from 10am – 12pm. RSVP to me ([email protected]). Video of the meeting will be posted on our Michigan Area website at a later date. You may also reach out to refugee resettlement agencies in your local area. Email me if you need assistance identifying those agencies.
Finally, what about Christians in Syria?
In conversations with friends, family members, colleagues, and fellow United Methodists I have consistently heard this question. It is a question that has caused me to pause and reflect.
I whole-heartedly support the resettlement of all refugees regardless of faith and believe there should be no religious test for entry into the U.S. However, my heart does break for fellow Christians who face persecution and death for practicing our common faith. In tension with that heart break is a deep concern for the xenophobic and Islamaphobic reactions emerging in the past week. I find my concern for my fellow Christians around the world expanding intimately connected to a concern for the wellbeing of all people who face violence and are forced to flee their home.
“Grant us, God, the wisdom to act in a way that turns history upside down and brings your shalom on earth as it is in heaven.”
If your heart is especially moved by the suffering of Christians in Syria and the Middle East I recommend reading “Why Are there only 53 Christians among America’s 2,184 Syrian Refugees”. In the article the U.S. director of church mobilization for World Relief shares that the low number of Christians among Syrian Refugees is not due to intentional discrimination but to several factors including: Christians with economic means to leave the county, Christian resettlement in Lebanon, and many Christians who are still waiting in refugee camps as the move through the long screening process. Additionally, the author of the article sites statistics about the large number of Christians that the U.S. has settled from other areas of the world where there is religious-based persecution.
I also encourage you, if able, to attend “A Unity Prayer Night for Christian in the Middle East” on December 1st, 2015 at 7pm at St. George Church (45700 Dequindre Rd Shelby Township 48317). The event is being co-organized by Barry Brockert, member of Ono Zion UMC.
I would also urge you to sign Open Door’s Hope for Christian Refugees petition. Open Door’s reports that it is working directly with Christians in Syria and that this petition reflects the needs of Syrian Christians – education about the safety of refugee camps and the greater flow of international aid dollars to local communities.
I close with a prayer from Detroit Conference member Rev. Jack Amick. Jack’s words capture the prayer of my heart as I hold in tension the current state of our world and the Advent hope of our faith:
Grant us hearts that cry like yours at the sight of dead boys on beaches, packed train cars, and long lines of families on the move. We confess that we have seen these images for centuries. Grant us, this time, the wisdom to act in a way that turns history upside down and brings your shalom on earth as it is in heaven. Grant us arms that welcome the stranger; grant us hands that feed the hungry; grant us feet that walk with those whose feet search for a new home, a new job, a new life. Help us understand how bad things must have been, and how much vision these survivors must have had to make this terrible trek. Grant us the vision to see what they see: your shalom where there is no more violence, where life is full and abundant for all, where no one is hungry, and everyone is welcome at the feast. Amen.
Last Updated on November 17, 2023