Not Home. Come Home.
2025 Lenten Reflections
Welcome for the Stranger
REFUGEE CARE
“The foreigner who resides with you must be to you like a native citizen among you; so you must love him as yourself, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:34
Illustration by Eunice Sunmie Derksen
God's commands to welcome the stranger are not mere acts of charity; they are reflections of his heart, his justice, and the very nature of his Kingdom. From the earliest pages of Scripture, God aligns himself with the marginalized, calling his people to extend compassion to the foreigner, the displaced, and the refugee. This is not a suggestion but a decree, woven into the very fabric of his covenant with Israel.
Biblical and Theological Grounding
The Israelites knew what it meant to be strangers, having suffered under Egyptian oppression before God’s mighty deliverance. In Leviticus 19:33-34, God makes his expectations clear: “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.” This call to radically embrace the stranger is not rooted in human generosity, but in divine love, justice, and remembrance.
In a core story of what it means to be God’s people, found in the book of Ruth, we read of Naomi and her family who were economic and environmental refugees as they fled to Moab due to a famine in Bethlehem. Ruth, later, as a Moabite, became a foreigner who found welcome and shelter in Israel and with Boaz. Ruth and Naomi were provided for through the Law of Moses through gleaning “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands” (Deut 24:19).
The Prophets echoed this divine demand of care. Zechariah 7:9-10 warns against oppressing the foreigner, and Jeremiah 22:3 commands: “Do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow.” Scripture declares that caring for immigrants is linked directly to God’s own character — he is the protector of the vulnerable, and his people are mandated to follow his example.
Jesus himself knew what it meant to be a refugee. His own family fled to Egypt to escape Herod’s violence, crossed linguistic and cultural barriers, from a worldview where land and extended family were of highest value (Matthew 2:13-15). The Savior of the world entered history as a displaced child, a foreigner seeking safety in a land not his own. In his ministry, Jesus consistently shattered barriers of nationality, ethnicity, and social status. He spoke life to the Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26), healed the servant of a Roman centurion (Matthew 8:5-13), and made an outsider the hero of one of his most profound parables, the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
In Matthew 25:35-40, Jesus makes a staggering statement: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” He does not separate himself from the vulnerable—he identifies with them. To serve the displaced is not an option for the believer; it is an act of worship and obedience to Christ himself.
The Early Church understood this calling. The Apostle Paul reminds believers in Ephesians 2:19: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.” The Church is, at its core, a gathering of the displaced, the outcast, and the redeemed, bound together by the blood of Christ.
Hospitality quickly became a defining virtue of the Early Church. Hebrews 13:2 exhorts, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” The Church was known as a place of refuge, not just for the spiritually lost but for those who were physically in need too. Roman persecution scattered believers, yet they responded without fear and with radical generosity, planting churches, welcoming the outcast, and caring for those who had nowhere else to turn.
Photograph by Erwan HesryA Church of refuge
From its earliest days, the Church has been a sanctuary for the displaced. Across history, believers have opened their doors, shared their tables, and risked their lives to care for those in need.
By the fourth century, the Church was one of the largest providers of aid to the displaced. Bishops and monastic communities built hospices for travelers, the poor, and those fleeing war. When barbarian invasions rocked the Roman world, St. Augustine called the faithful to care for those who had lost everything. In the Middle Ages, churches became literal sanctuaries, offering protection under Divine Law. During the Reformation, persecuted Protestants fled to cities like Geneva, where Christian leaders advocated for religious asylum.
In modern history, the Church has continued this legacy. During the Holocaust, some believers risked their lives to shelter Jewish refugees. After World War II, churches became instrumental in resettling families displaced by war. Today, as millions flee violence and poverty, Christian communities remain at the forefront, offering refuge and advocating for just immigration policies. Christian organizations like Catholic Charities, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and World Relief have helped millions of immigrants find safety, housing, and legal support. Missiologists, who have brought attention to missionary outreach to unreached people groups, marvel that so many are coming to our own doorstep, making evangelism to "the nations" even more possible.
In our Anglican family, St. John's Vancouver Anglican Church carries this mission forward through its Refugee Committee and Refugee Welcome Team. Under the vision of being “a community of contrast gripped by the gospel of God’s grace,” they build long-term relationships with refugees, sponsor families from abroad, and support claimants within Canada. Their Welcome Team, a group of eighty volunteers, walks alongside refugees, assisting with housing, employment, healthcare, childcare, transportation, and navigating various services like banking and government programs. They raise funds through initiatives like the Ride for Refuge and, most importantly, uphold refugees in constant prayer.
"Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."
Hebrews 13:2
Immigrant Churches are bringing renewal
The immigrant church in North America is not just surviving—it is thriving, bringing spiritual renewal to communities across the continent. As believers from Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East arrive, they often bring vibrant faith, deep communal bonds, and an unwavering commitment to evangelism. We are joyful that all ACNA dioceses have parishes who bring to us the gifts of the nations to our Anglican family.
Many of these churches are marked by fervent worship, passionate prayer, and reliance on God. These churches are growing, driven by a faith that sees migration as part of God’s providential plan. Their evangelistic zeal leads them to plant churches, engage in street outreach, and revitalize declining congregations.
Their presence also reshapes the broader Church. Reflecting the vision of Revelation 7:9 —a multitude from every nation worshiping together — immigrant churches foster the breadth of cultures with Kingdom vision. Korean, Latino, African, and Chinese congregations, among others, have actively planted churches in North American cities, and many intentionally reach beyond their ethnic circles. Their deep commitment to discipleship and community care provides a model of church life that counters the individualism that weakens many congregations today. North America needs our immigrant church family in Christ to bring spiritual revival and renewal.
Reflect
The Church today must remember its own story. We are the spiritual descendants of refugees, pilgrims, and wanderers, called to extend the same grace we have received. When we welcome the stranger, we welcome Christ himself (Matthew 25:35-40). When we open our homes, share our tables, and advocate for the afflicted and displaced, we continue the legacy of the early church and monastic refuge.
The question before us is not whether the Church should engage in care for immigrants and refugees—it is whether the Church will remain faithful to God’s command to be a light to the nations here “at home.” Anglicans, you are doing it!
Give
Would you consider the Matthew 25 Initiative for almsgiving? As the justice and mercy initiative of the ACNA, we are committed to equipping and sustaining the people of God in their service to the vulnerable. Funding we receive this Lent will go towards creating pathways for churches and small ministries to launch new initiatives to walk alongside the vulnerable and marginalized.