Moving On

Immigration has been in the news a lot over the past few years.  It seems to be one of those issues that politicians are going to argue about but not actually do anything about.  Some want to send immigrants back to where they came from.  Some want to let those here stay, but keep out the rest and some want to let them all in.  And within that description there are a thousand subtleties that make one person's position a little different from the rest.

We are a land of immigrants.  Most of our ancestors came here from somewhere.  And we all have one thing in common.  When we got here, the children of the last immigrants were none too happy to see us.

As the debate goes on (and on, and on, and on, and on) I find myself thinking more and more about the people who immigrate.  People who look to the distance, see an opportunity and decide to go for it.  It must be quite the mental process to come to that decision.  We all grow up thinking that our experiences are the norm.  To move on to a new land, you have to get to an utter state of dissatisfaction where you realize that they way that you are living isn't working for you.  You need to be so uncomfortable with where you are that you are ready to jump into the great unknown.

Of course the epitome of this satisfaction comes with refugees.  For a refugee, it is not a well thought out plan of immigration.  It is the sense that I must escape.  I will only take the small amount that I can carry and I will go.  We see pictures of people crammed on rafts.  These people who climb onto overcrowded boats and head across the water are not stupid.  They are desperate.  They know how dangerous climbing on the boat is, and they still see it as there best option.

As Christians, God calls us to be refugees from this world.  Jesus preached that to be a follower we need to be at a place where we hate the things of this world.  We need to be desperate to move on, to see that there is a better way and to take a leap of faith.  And to be an immigrant to the Kingdom of God is not really enough.  Many immigrants come with the idea that someday they will return home when things get better.  A refugee says "I'm done here" and moves on.  We cannot be part of the Kingdom of God and still keep our dual citizenship with the things of this world.

Watch this clip from Pastor Chris.

We need to make the journey.  We need to leave as refugees. 

 In the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor there is a poem inscribed on a tablet,  The poem is called The New Colossus.  Part of the poem says, 

"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your teaming shore.  Send these the homeless tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door."  

This is an attitude that we as Americans struggle with in welcoming the needy from foreign lands, but it perfectly describes God's welcoming attitude towards us as we come to Him as refugees from this world.