This article was written by Sara Lancaster.
In late February, Saint Peter wrapped up its second Faith Table Talk Series, which focused on the Refugee Crisis. In all, about 20 church members and friends (some of the group pictured above) gathered every Wednesday night for seven weeks to share dinner and tackle tough topics.
Some of the topics we covered included:
The difference between an immigrant, asylee and refugee
The staggering number of displaced people from all over the world. By the end of 2018, there were 70.8 million displaced people around the globe - mostly from Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia.
The responsibility Christians have to welcome and support those affected by the refugee crisis.
In all the reading and videos we studied, I was particularly struck by how extensive the process is for someone to achieve refugee status (defined as a person seeking safety from war, persecution or violence) and then to be relocated to a third country. For someone coming to the US, there are multiple screenings done by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Department of Homeland Security’s US Citizenship and Immigration Services and additional medical and security checks. The relocation process can take more than 20 years!
I was also struck by the international work done by Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and here locally by Lutheran Family Services Rocky Mountains (LFSRM) to resettle refugees right here in our community. It makes me proud to be an ELCA Lutheran.
The refugee crisis is a huge crisis. At times, learning all this new information felt overwhelming and discouraging. However, it was also inspiring to see the passion from others in the room and the commitment from all of us to learn and do more. Here are some of the action items the group was able to identify. I hope you will pick one or two things from the list as well. Together, maybe we can make Saint Peter more of an advocate for refugees (and asylees and immigrants, too).
Refugee Crisis Action Items
Read books, watch movies and explore art from the perspective of refugees. Book suggestions: Newcomers by Helen Thorpe and What Is The What by Dave Eggers. And check out the photos from the art exhibit by Ahmed Badr and Mohamad Hafez exploring the lives of refugees.
Sign up to receive advocacy alerts from Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services and then contact your governmental leaders to demand change in Christ’s name.
Donate furniture and other items to the LFSRM to help furnish apartments for families who are just arriving in the Denver area.
Mark you calendar for World Refugee Day on June 20th and for June 21st when Saint Peter hosts a special Refugee Sunday.
Become a “Reading Buddy” at a local Denver school. Both Shoemaker School and Samuel Elementary are nearby, have many immigrant and refugee children enrolled and are looking for volunteers.
Connect with Jeanne Maloney about a forthcoming Faith in Action Team that will focus on refugees.