A call to radical hospitality

“You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 24:22).

The WCRC calls all its member churches into a radical hospitality, to pray for and to advocacy work for refugees seeking asylum in Europe. Particularly at this moment when ships carrying those seeking refuge are being turned away from ports.

 At this time we are reminded of (Leviticus 19: 33-34) which commands,

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” 

The WCRC affirms that welcome to the stranger and hospitality to the alien lies at the very heart of the gospel imperative to love. In the Christian tradition we remember the divine in the sharing of a meal; the communion is a radical call to sharing and hospitality. A call that cannot only be expressed in ritual within the walls of our churches but must be expressed in our attitudes, policies and structures. Particularly at this time we seek the opening of borders to those whose life is at risk because of poverty, war and violence.

The WCRC calls on its member churches to work towards justice for all refugees and those seeking asylum and to lobby their governments to enact more just immigration policies. We commend the work of organizations that are working for justice for migrants and call on all faith-based organizations into solidarity for justice. We call for an end to colonial, neo-colonial and imperial practices that are responsible for creating violent, hazardous and unsafe conditions that are at the root of the refugee crisis.

Prayer: God of Life who shares life with all of creation, who transgresses time and space to incarnate in and among humanity. Enable us to share, to open boundaries and borders and to love, radically and deeply. Amen.

_{Photo by Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP/Getty Images}