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You are here: Home / Archives for refugees

refugees

St. George’s Work with Refugees

June 27, 2018 by St. George's 2 Comments

GlobeMany of us have felt helpless when faced with the news these days.  Stories of bans on Muslim immigration, derogatory speech about Africa and Haiti, and images of refugee children being separated from their parents have left us feeling overwhelmed and powerless.

Here at St George’s, we have begun a mission called “Stand for Refugees” to help our brothers and sisters who are forced to leave their homelands for reasons of safety or persecution.  We began last December by partnering with Catholic Charities to learn more about refugees in our community. We learned about the differences between immigrants and refugees. Though those terms are often used interchangeably, they mean different things.   An immigrant is someone who chooses to live in another country for a variety of reasons. A refugee is a person who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence. A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.  Those who seek asylum are asking for refugee status.  Determining the difference can be very challenging.

We discovered that the majority of refugees being resettled in the Fredericksburg area are from Afghanistan, and are here under Special Immigrant Visa protective status.  That means they have served the United States government or Armed Forces in some capacity, thus putting their own lives and the lives of their families at risk.  Since December, our group has had educational speakers visit to teach us about the process of becoming a refugee.  We have also provided food and basic household necessities to several families.

Our special relationship is with a young Afghani woman and her two children.  Our friend, Heela, was a lawyer and activist for the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.  She uncovered corruption while supervising homes for girls, who were being sexually abused while administration turned a blind eye in exchange for bribes.  When Heela shed light on the situation, her life and the lives of her children became endangered, and she quickly packed her bags and fled for the United States.

Heela is continuing to face many challenges in her new life in the United States, and many of us at St. George’s have become her extended family.  Heela loves Fredericksburg, and feels that she has found a new home here.

Our group will continue its work this fall, branching out from Catholic Charities and  finding new ways to support refugees through St. George’s.  We hope to grow into more advocacy, as well as expand our personal relationships with those that find themselves far from home and in our midst. If you are interested, you are welcome to join us. Please let me know.

It is hard not to feel overwhelmed by the news, but it is important to realize that the small things we do make a difference.

“Be faithful in small things, because it is in them that your strength lies.” –Mother Theresa

Respectfully submitted by Janice Brunson

Filed Under: News Blog, We Serve Tagged With: global outreach, refugees

World Refugee Day: Practicing the Love of Christ

June 20, 2018 by St. George's 1 Comment

World_Refugee_DayGreetings beloved St. Georgians,

As I write this post, it is Wednesday, June 20, World Refugee Day. The reports of the past weeks regarding refugees seeking asylum at our southern U.S. border and the no tolerance policy of our government are disturbing to say the least. Over the past several days, we have heard more and more voices from all sides of the political spectrum calling on the government to end its practice of separating children from their parents. I realize that my message here is mostly a repetition of what others have already said more eloquently, but I feel that it is important that I add my voice and call our particular community to prayer and action. Just treatment of immigrants is one of the core themes in scripture and has been a core theme of Christian moral teaching for centuries.

Recently I heard an interview with Presiding Bishop Michael Curry who summed up the Christian approach by saying that Jesus told us to love God and love your neighbor as yourself. Separating children from parents at the border is not loving your neighbor. As I have been writing this, an announcement has been made that President Trump has signed an order that that would allow children and parents to remain together while being detained. I am thankful that this action has been taken. However, it is still important to pay close attention to how people are treated on our behalf as U.S. citizens.

There are many views in our St. George’s family regarding immigration and what is best for our country. As a priest, I do not claim to know the best policy in order to solve the immigration concerns we face. I do claim, as a follower of Jesus, that we have a moral obligation to treat our fellow human beings with dignity and respect. We have a spiritual obligation to practice the love of Christ. Children and vulnerable persons, especially, are to receive our compassion and kindness. When people appear on our borders, because they fear for their lives at home, we can do a better job of treating them like human beings. It seems that the no tolerance practices of our government are intended to deter people from showing up in the first place.

The attorney general quoted Romans 13 last week as justification for the no tolerance policies of our government. If they want to use scripture as a justification for policy, I have an additional suggestion. Rather than quote a passage of scripture which was also used to justify the legal practice of slavery in this country, asking us to blindly accept the authority of the government, I would invite our authorities to look at the broader scope of scripture. Although there are times when God seems to have “no tolerance,” the greater witness is that God is extremely tolerant and flexible. God lays down the law, but then God also provides loopholes and exceptions.

In addition to Presiding Bishop Curry, our own diocesan bishops have spoken out on these issues. They are calling us to speak to our governing representatives and authorities. The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations has more information about reaching out to congressional representatives. You can find information here. The issues are greater than the separation of children and families. Will there continue to be access for persons seeking asylum and refuge? While these are complicated issues, I call us to pray for compassionate ways forward and to stay engaged. The treatment of immigrants and migratory persons is one of the core themes in scripture. Over and over, God sides with the people who are crossing the borders.

Your rector and brother in Christ,

Joe+

Filed Under: News Blog, We Grow Tagged With: rectors blog, refugees

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