The Practice of Remembrance
The practice of remembrance is key to our Christian faith and a strong thread woven throughout our liturgical year. We remember the Sabbath; we remember those saints who have departed; we remember that we are dust; we remember our baptism; we remember Jesus’ sacrifice as we kneel for the Eucharist; we remember the Lord’s faithfulness as we cling to hope, and so on. This is meant to shape both our mindset and our actions accordingly.
June 20 is World Refugee Day, designated by the United Nations in 2001 as an annual day to remember refugees: people who have fled their home countries and cannot safely return due to persecution based on their race, ethnicity, religion, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. They are survivors of human violence–the Center for Victims of Torture in Minnesota estimates that 44 percent of refugees resettled in the US have suffered torture. Today, more than 27 million people are living as refugees, and about one-quarter of 1 percent will ever have the chance to permanently resettle to a safe third country such as the US.
Parishes around the world pause to remember our refugee neighbors on the Sundays before and after June 20. This Sunday, we will remember current and former refugees as we pray, and we’ll hear an update from a member of our CCA Welcome Team (a small group of parishioners embracing a newly arrived Afghan family in friendship).
Last fall, CCA parishioners donated 40 baskets and shopping bags full of cleaning and hygiene supplies to our newly-arrived refugee neighbors!
Former refugees also comprise a needed part of our parish family, having fled violent persecution in Burma, Iran, the DR Congo, and Afghanistan. While many refugees resettled to the US bring with them a vibrant Christian faith tested by fire (such as the Karen people from Burma, who have a 450-member Baptist congregation here in Phoenix), others come from places where they essentially had zero chance of ever hearing the gospel. Friendship is one of the greatest needs among our local refugee neighbors; very few refugees resettled to Phoenix are invited into an American home–let alone a Christian home–though Jesus modeled that one of the best ways to share the gospel is through friendship.
In response to the swift takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan last August, the US military evacuated, vetted, and dispersed across the US more than 70,000 Afghans especially vulnerable to Taliban tyranny. About 1,500 were sent here, to metro Phoenix, under this “Operation Allies Welcome” program. What might God be up to? What role does he have for us–for those indwelled with his Spirit?
In addition to our Welcome Team companioning one particular Afghan family as they settle in, CCA parishioners are serving regularly through Abounding Service (Christian nonprofit helping refugees learn English), the International Rescue Committee’s Welcome Center for people seeking asylum, and The Welcome to America Project (our first team pictured here, in 2016).
Can you remember another time in your life when 70,000 people from one of the most closed countries in the world suddenly were uprooted and placed within reach of our local churches? Between the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20) and the Great Commandment (Mt. 22:37-40), it is no mystery how we ought to respond to these new neighbors. The instruction to “go” now means driving just one zip code away.
Regardless of our age, ability. or schedule, each of us can meaningfully support our refugee neighbors as they do the hard work of building a new life in a strange place. To learn how, come to a 2-hour Refugee Ministry 101 Workshop (the next one is this Saturday morning in Gilbert, with free childcare!), connect with the CCA Welcome Team, or contact me anytime for ongoing opportunities.
In February, CCA parishioners whipped up 180 servings of firnee (traditional Afghan cardamom pudding) for our new Afghan neighbors. One recipient said it tasted just like what he had back home.
This Sunday, as we remember our refugee neighbors near and far, let us respond accordingly. Let us remember that everyone who belongs to Christ is an immigrant in this world, adopted into God’s family through the blood of Jesus, and let us behold our rich heritage as a “pilgrim people.” Let us turn and face the world’s deepest pain–to not look away–to get closer, even when it’s uncomfortable. Let us respond with love–not with words or tongue, but with action and in truth–embracing our refugee neighbors as kin. Christ is close to the refugee (he was one himself, as a child!) and he beckons us to come close to where he is.
Mary Kaech
Parishioner
Phoenix Refugee Connections
mary@phxrc.org