Christian viewpoints

Recently there has been a video on You Tube about current Muslim demographics that point to the decline of Christian culture. It has had over nine million viewers on You Tube, and its aim is to “wake up” Christians to the reality of the world around them and to challenge Christians to take steps to share the Gospel.

Fortunately, several commentators have already helped to point out the errors of this video. To me, the film is unfortunate because it not only misrepresents the situation, but because it mainly seeks to justify the xenophobia in people that readily blames the immigrant for society’s decline. I think it creates a motivation for engaging the culture around us that is rooted in fear and protectionism. I don’t think this is ultimately a very helpful or viable reason to take action as Christians.

The video concludes that our society will change due to Islamic immigration coupled with the high birth rate of Islamic families. This is only one side of the equation. Our culture has changed even without the influx of Islamic immigration. There has always been some aspect that is changing the world we live in -whether this has been through exploration and discovery, politics, immigration or technology. Check out another video on you tube about the changing world.

These films raise the question of what it all means for us today? but I think we should also ask what the Western values, ideals and agendas are that have led to the place we are. Maybe change would be good. Maybe it is time to face and reckon with the course of self-destruction that western culture has been on.

The video refers to the alarm that western states like Germany and France themselves raise at the prospect of growing muslim populations. The implication is that Christians would no longer have a political culture and society that is their own. Yet isn’t this the case now?

Western society would be unrecognizeable in an Islamic state, and Christians might be discriminated against. However, while this seems like a difficult and dangerous situation –at the risk of historical error– wouldn’t this be more like the world that existed at the start of the Christian age -before Constantine tied government and religion together? Didn’t the church once grow and thrive in a world that was not “Christian”, and depending on the time, in a world that was outright hostile and violent towards Christians.

I would question the understanding of faith that is so tied and limited to a single culture. Instead, I would argue that the spiritual health of Christians in this world has more to do with the level of trust that we live by and dependence on God that we demonstrate.

Migration has been part of human history since the Garden of Eden, and the scriptures give witness to God’s use of migration, particularly forced migration, to accomplish his plan in this world. Many immigrants today are forced migrants, whose story and journey will lead them to a new identity in Christ. As migrants they bring new ways of living, but they will also potentially bring the roots of a new and renewed Church.

These immigrant Christians are witnesses to the fact that to be Christian is not tied to a particular culture -neither the current western one or some Islamic culture that might be forced on someone. Rather Christian faith for them is found in a new identity with Christ. To me the current demographics are a helpful reminder that it is not our culture that makes us Christian. Instead being a Christian is about the transformation of identity that happens when one embraces the Gospel.

The call to me when I consider these demographics is not to reverse the trend somehow by rolling back time or by converting ones different from me. Rather the call is to embrace and to trust that God is still in control even when the odds might be stacked against me, and to promote faithfulness among those who identify themselves with Christ. The former call takes an anthropological view of the world, that emphasizes all that humans do to control and shape the world, while the latter call takes a Christological view that places God in the center as creator and provider who still, in spite of a world gone off course, will remain intimately active in transforming hopeless situations.

Recently RefugeeHighway.com raised our attention to the French government’s plan to arrest 5000 people in 2009, who offer help to illegal migrants and refugees.  Apparently this will be an additional effort alongside the already existing expulsions of refugees aimed at curbing the flow of unofficial people entering into the country.  This is clearly a bold and drastic measure that appears not only to assert the State’s national sovereignty but absurdly to redefine the limits of Christian love, compassion and obligation.

If the French follow through fully with their policy as they have already begun, then at best the Christian foundations for such agreements like the Geneva Convention will be significantly eroded, and at worst, I might be doing my work behind bars.  Countries across the wealthy world are building a new wall on the foundation of national pride and xenophobia, that does nothing more than to polarize the issues even further into the north and south, the rich and poor, the good and bad.

Just today, I listened to an ORF radio report on the public schools in Austria. Because many of the schools in Vienna have over 80% immigrant children, there are efforts by some to establish schools that are open only to Austrian children.  We don’t need to look far in our well-off societies to see the extent and proportion of the illegal immigrant problem, and neither do we need to look far to see the inadequate understanding and response.

The current French plan is only one small step away from seeing destitute people like refugees -ones without a family, home and country- as unworthy of the respect, compassion and care that fellow humans might choose to show them or have the capacity to give, and thus in some way as less than human. In the name of national security, prosperity and culture this approach in one divine sweep, criminalizes acts of kindness and compassion, and calls what is good, evil.

In the name of French Law the plan forbids God’s Law, and in so doing reveals its own poverty and loss of life.

This weekend I had the opportunity to hear first hand a couple accounts of how people have responded to the stress of migration.

The first was at an exhibit about how the movie industry handles the subject of migration and specifically the strategies that are presented for handling the stress.  Clips were shown from several films to draw out aspects such as the hidden cost of leaving home and family, the danger and uncertainty of the journey, coping with the many needs along the way and the unbending power of humanity on the move.

What caught my attention to the exhibit and discussion was the idea of “strategies at work” among migrants.  Quite clearly the presenters and films can choose whichever strategies they want to highlight. However who is asking which strategies refugees are choosing?  I wondered if the practice of faith would count as one of the strategies.

Then on the following day, I heard the account of a refugee who indeed had recently trusted Jesus. He briefly described how he had come to faith in Jesus as a forced migrant. Click here for the 2 minute story in German. The audio quality is very poor, so I have included the translation below.

“(In the past) I had heard about Christianity and had contact with Christian people. Sometimes I thought about this, but it was not serious. Five months ago, I met - Christian- Christians, and the friendship between us was very good. I was invited to the church, and I could feel firsthand the love and joy and friendship. On a Friday evening the church had a meeting, where a teacher from Germany came. He spoke very well about Jesus and why he died, and why we should believe in him. I heard it and Jesus touched my heart. Immediately I knew I wanted to invite Jesus into my heart and into my life as Lord. Jesus has done a lot now in my heart and I am very glad now to be a child of God. Before my faith I was was anxious, and had no peace in my heart, but now I am at rest and full of peace. I still have problems, but they do not make me anxious like before. I am very glad that now I have brothers and sisters and belong now to God’s family.”

I believe this is a strategy, that has turned the world upside down.  Afterwards, I found my refugee friend to congratulate him on his step of faith, and to remind him that even when life gets hard to remember that he belongs to God. He commented simply, “God chose me.”

There is surely a lot of talk about the strategies at work among refugees as they flee for life. Yet when refugees exercise faith, which many do, then we can also speak of God’s strategy. It is a strategy that helps some to cope with the pain and the cost they have incurred along the way.

While my son had his music lesson, I stopped off to visit Mike. The Christmas season is in its last round, but in Mike’s room there was not much sign of it. English and German have been hard in school, but now he has a holiday break. We discussed our plans for the end of the year and he invited me to celebrate New Year’s with him. Unfortunately, I’ll be gone at this time, and it won’t work. I’ve been gone a lot recently, and I was sorry I couldn’t get by to see Mike sooner.

Mike asked again, “So, what is it that you do?” I think he knows that I help refugees, because he has seen and heard about the language classes, and he has received some practical help himself. He knows too that I help refugees as a Christian. We talked about the spiritual needs of refugees. I want to offer spiritual support and counsel as a Christian. A large number of refugees want to hear about Jesus, and some want to follow Jesus. I am like a pastor to refugees. Sometimes it seems almost harder for me to talk about my Christian life in today’s world, than it is for a refugee.

At about this time, a fellow refugee came by Mike’s room. Mike invited him in, and we continued talking together. Then very matter of factly Mike said about the other man, “He believes in Jesus too. He prays to Jesus and when he prays, he speaks in other languages!”

Unfortunately for me, English or German, was not one of his languages! Mike translated for us. I assured the man that it must be a special thing to to pray in other tongues, to which he nodded. The man continued,

“I heard about Jesus from a neighbor and I started to believe while I was still in my country …I continue to pray now in Austria when I am alone in my room, but unfortunately, I can’t go to a church, because I don’t know anyone nor do I know German. …When I pray, I see pictures. Do you know what this means?”

I wished I could have given the man the address of a church for him to visit, but it is not that easy. I remembered Reza’s word about the importance of networks. The man is alone here and he needs the support and encouragement of fellow Christians. I assured him that God wants to use the prayers in other tongues as a way to encourage him in his faith. Yet, I know that he needs to hear and understand the scriptures in order to grow and remain strong.

As I walked out to pick up my son from the music lesson, I realized that for Mike and his fellow refugee friend, the spiritual aspect of following Jesus is a matter of fact. It is a part of life -as simple and straight forward as saying, “he believes in Jesus, and prays in tongues.” For contemporary society, however, the spiritual possibility of faith in Jesus has become an ideology and belief relegated by skepticism to some corner outside of everyday life.

I told Mike that I believe God is bringing many refugees who trust Jesus to Europe in order to help weave faith in Jesus back into the fabric of life.

Snow blew sideways through the streets outside, and a gust of wind pushed its way in the door with each person. Immigrants, refugees, students and local friends settled in, and the centre filled to capacity. Ones stood and others sat as we all slowly got to know each other. “Hello. How are you? Where are you from?” One man said he was looking for a room. A woman told about her family back in Africa who fought for liberation in WWII. She hoped her parents could one day come here.

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