On World Refugee Day, Protect the Dignity & Safety of Refugees and Asylum Seekers

June 20 is World Refugee Day. On this day, we lift up those who have fled their home countries in the midst of horrendous conditions. Yet we must do more than just remember. We must act for the refugees, the stateless, and the displaced today. Those forced from their homes and rebuilding their lives in a new country should not be met with more hardship. As humans, we should care for one another when we can.  

Leviticus 19:34 reminds us of our duty to care for refugees: “The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt.” Time and again throughout the Bible, we are called to love one another. Jesus even goes so far as to tell us how to love each other in Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger, and you invited me in.” 

Let this World Refugee Day renew our commitment to each other in our hardest times. Our actions speak volumes about our beliefs. If we call ourselves Christians, we must back that up with our actions to feed, clothe, house, and share fellowship with refugees while working towards a just and peaceful world for all.