I have so much to say. I don’t quite know where to start. Since Trump’s inauguration, there have been so many thoughts in my head, but no time to share them. I have so many thoughts and emotions that I want to communicate, but today I hope to narrow my focus enough to go into some sort of depth. So please pardon what will surely be something of a word-vomit.
My heart grieves over Trump’s recent decision to close the border to international travelers from certain Muslim-majority nations, including refugees fleeing war-torn Syria. It has been noted that mysteriously absent from that list are the nations in which Trump has a personal stake. I will leave that topic for those whose expertise eclipses mine, and I will speak instead of matters of the heart, which I believe I understand as well as anyone.
I speak as a Christian. I am hesitant to use that word to describe myself, because I am well aware of the many connotations that it holds. Merriam-Webster defines the noun “Christian” as “one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ.” It is this denotative meaning that I claim when I refer to myself as a Christian.
I speak as a follower of Jesus Christ. I speak as someone who has encountered the person of Jesus and calls him Friend. My heart breaks for the Syrian nationals seeking refuge in America. I know my Jesus, and I know that His heart is for the refugees also.
“He ensures that orphans and widows receive justice. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. So you, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 10:19-20, NIV.
“‘For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'” Matthew 25:35-36, NIV.
“Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” Hebrews 13:1-2, NIV.
This message–to welcome strangers, to love everyone who crosses our path–is a recurring theme throughout God’s instruction to His followers. To do it justice, I would have to copy and paste the entire Bible. But you get the picture.
My heart breaks for the travelers detained in airports, and the green card-holders facing deportation, and the families suddenly barred from reunion. So many innocent people have been affected by this sweeping declaration made by Trump. And so many Christians support it.
How is this possible? How can we stand by, how can some openly applaud this move that so blatantly discriminates on the basis of nationality and religion? This goes against what Jesus stood for. It goes against what He died for. He showed us sacrificial love, and we are trampling on His message.
So many American Christians have been seized by fear, and it is being used as an excuse to hate. We remember watching the footage of those planes crashing into the towers, and we remember saying never again. But folks, please hear me. We cannot blame millions of innocent humans for the actions of a few. We must not give in to this fear. We must not allow our hearts to be filled with irrational terror.
Don’t we remember what it’s like to be judged because of a label? How many of us have had to say “I’m a Christian, but I’m not like [insert stereotype]”? Muslims face the same struggle. Equating the majority of Muslims with radical Islamic terrorism is as unjust as equating the majority of Christians with the Westboro Baptist Church.
The truth is, many people’s only experience with Muslims is confined to the news reports about terrorism. Just as many people’s experience with Christians consists of hateful signs declaring what kind of people God hates. Anyone who has ever felt the jab of a stranger saying “You are in this class of people and therefore you believe this” will know what I’m talking about. It’s unfair. It hurts. Get to know me before you judge me. Hear my story. Hear my pain. Let me tell you what I believe, and why I believe it.
It goes both ways. Let go of the fear of the unknown. Meet people you’ve never talked to before. Put a face to the word Muslim. A smile, a story, a name. Make a friend. These are the people who are stranded in airports, or are legal residents of the United States who have been ordered to leave, or are no longer allowed to visit their families.
They are not strangers. They are humans.