The crisis in our world has driven so many families away from their homeland. The huge number of homeless migrants and refugee in our world today is a clear indication that the world is on fire. Most countries, like America are building walls to prevent refugees from having direct access into their nations. Unfortunately, what these refugees are passing through is unimaginable! The plight and wellbeing of refugees is indeed a major challenge facing our world today.

Responding to this existential challenges, on December 4th 2000, UN declared June 20th as World Refugee Day. This day is meant to create awareness and to provide support for millions of families all over the world who have lost their homes and dear ones because of violence or war. The theme of 2017 world refugee day is “Embracing Refugees to celebrate our Common Humanity.

While people like Donald Trump of America are insisting on building walls, Pope Francis has consistently preached in favour building bridges, which entails accommodating one another, especially the refugees. “In the social and civil context as well, I appeal not to create walls but to build bridges… To not respond to evil with evil. To defeat evil with good, the offence with forgiveness.”
Instead of building walls and trying to stop refugees from seeking asylum into ones country, the Holy Father has appealed to world leaders to open their borders to refugees and do everything humanly possible to assist them in their predicaments.

Responding to walls builders, the Holy Father declares “anyone who wants to build a wall is “not Christian.” A true Christian must answer the following questions: When the Israelites experienced famine, if the Egyptians had built walls what do you think would have happened to the hungry sons of Jacob? Also, when Herod wanted to kill the child Jesus his parents flee to Egypt for safety. Imagine what would have happened if the Egyptians had built walls and thereby denying them access into their land!

In line with the Holy father, António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General described the support for refugee as a global responsibility/ According to him, “The root problems are war and hatred, not people who flee; refugees are among the first victims of terrorism.” The refugees are not to be blamed but to be pitied and supported since they are not responsible for their predicaments.

Instead of building Walls against the refugees, the bibles offers a possible and more realistic ways of handing the refugees:

1. Do not Discriminate against them: When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34). The moment war breaks out in any country, its citizen who manage to escape for their lives will automatically become refugees. If not by the special grace of God, we all are potential refugees. Imagine, if people decides to build walls against us in such situation! Loving a refugee is and indirect way of loving ourselves and securing our future!

2. Feed the Refugees in your midst: When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner (Leviticus 19:9-10). As children of God, we are obliged to feed the needy, especially the refugees in our midst.

3. Love them as God loves you: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:18-19). Our God is also the God of the refugee. He loves and cares for all. Loving and caring for refugees is a easy way of partnering in the project of the most High God.

4. Do Not Abuse Foreigners
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt (Exodus 23:9). God condemns all forms of oppressions, especially oppression against foreigners and refugees. One of the reasons why we must not oppress foreigners is because we ourselves are potential foreigners, and even refugees.

5. Defend the Right and Interest of Refugees among you: “So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:5). We must ensure that foreigners and refugees are not deprived of their justice and right.

6. Open Your Door to the Traveler, especially refugees: No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler (Job 31:32). Building of walls against the travelers and refugees is another way of closing our doors against them. The Lord God warns us, his followers that no stranger or refugee must sleep along the streets without shelter. We must provide accommodation for them as mandated by the Most high God.

7. To Receive the Refugees is to Receive God: Our Lord Jesus Christ says, “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, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:25-36)” Each time we receive the strangers or the refugees we are receiving our Lord Jesus Christ and He will surely bless us for so doing.

8. Treat the refugees as your Neighbor: A man once asked Jesus, “who is my neighbor?” In reply, Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37).
This story of the Good Samaritan says it all. On judgment day no one will ask you your position in the Church or in the society, your title makes no sense. Even your academic and spiritual qualification does not matter. All that matters is how you were able to touch the lives of people around you, especially the prisoners, the orphans and of course the refugees.

With this reflection from the scripture it is obvious that building of Walls against the refugees cannot solve our problem. Instead of walls we should build bridges and do everything humanly possible to avert war, insurgencies and hunger which are the major factors that are driving people away from their homeland. Having in mind of course, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ who says, “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35) May God richly bless all those who are providing shelter and care for the refugees and may He protect and provide for all the refugees in Jesus name – Amen!