We get so caught up in the joy of the birth of the Saviour and celebrating it, forgetting the real struggles his parents had, writes Stephen Brislin.
Spare a thought and a prayer for the plight of refugees this Christmas.
It’s estimated there are more than 65 million refugees worldwide and more than a quarterof those are in Africa. Some say the number of refugees in South Africa is as high as a million people, but that is not certain.
Christmas has made me think of refugees. We usually get so caught up in the joy of the birth of the Saviour and celebrating it, forgetting the real struggles his parents had. They could “find no place in the inn” and were, for all intents and purposes, homeless until given a stable. After the birth of Jesus the Holy Family had to flee, fearing the persecution of a ruthless and tyrannical king. Vulnerable and at great risk, they went to a foreign country and were dependent on the hospitality of strangers. That really sums up what a refugee is – one who is displaced, usually to another country, through war, persecution or natural disaster.
There are others who do not not flee from persecution but from devastating and dehumanising poverty. Some may consider them “migrants” but listening to their experiences and considering their dire circumstances they are truly refugees, albeit for economic reasons.
Refugees are not seeking adventure. They leave because they are desperate and cannot find the means to live a safe and secure life in their own countries. Hundreds of thousands are not only vulnerable because of the dangers they are fleeing and their dependence on the goodwill of others. Multitudes fall into the hands of smugglers or, even worse, human traffickers whose interests are only commercial, their refugee “clients” regarded as an expendable commodity. As we have seen in South Africa, many are subject to vicious and life-threatening xenophobic attacks. Some countries have been exemplary in their treatment of refugees and the humanitarian aid they have extended. Others have not only closed their borders but their hearts. The migration of people is as old as human history and there are a number of instances mentioned in the Bible. The Israelites themselves were at one time economic refugees and later had to flee tyrannical persecution. God commanded them to learn from their painful and frightening experience and for all time to have a special care for aliens who lived among them (Leviticus 19:33-34).
In the New Testament, not only did the Holy Family have to seek refuge, but Jesus taught that we would be judged on how we have treated the stranger: “When I was hungry, you gave me to eat, when I was thirsty you gave me to drink, when I was a stranger, you welcomed me.” (Matt 25:35) The equality of all people is fundamental to God’s creation – each person is created in the image of God and the world is created for all people.
People have the right to migrate and they have a right to sustain their lives and the lives of their families. The world belongs to all and all have a right to food, water, clothing, shelter. There are rights to education, to medical care, to religious expression and to the expression of one’s culture.
It is also true that countries have the right to regulate their borders and control immigration. No country is bound to accept all those who would wish to live there, especially if the country’s resources cannot support a larger population. If resources are considered scarce, the vulnerable are often driven away. But such regulation of borders should be made with justice and mercy. They should not be based on a short-sighted view but with consideration for the overall common good and a concern for all people. Regrettably fear, rather than justice or mercy, is often the motivating force for making these decisions – fear of people who are different, fear for one’s culture or fear of other religions. Pope Francis addressed this issue when speaking of migration in Europe. “I encourage you to welcome refugees into your homes and communities, so that their first experience of Europe is not the traumatic experience of sleeping cold on the streets, but one of warm human welcome Remember that authentic hospitality is a profound gospel value that nurtures love and is our greatest security against hateful acts of terrorism,” he said.
Ultimately we have to work for the eradication of the causes of the displacement of people. Most importantly, this means working for peace – a true and lasting peace based on economic opportunity, security, development, the sharing of resources, and an end to military interventions in countries for partisan interests. Working for peace of necessity means working against greed and corruption. Sadly, these are all long-term endeavours.
We must, meanwhile, accept that massive movement of people is a characteristic of our time and is not going to end soon. It is a feature of today’s world that we must come to terms with and not give in to gut fears. It will likely bring rapid, massive and unpredictable change to the world as we know it. Change makes us fearful and anxious, often causing us to behave in ways we would not believe possible. But rejection and inhumane treatment will exacerbate tensions and is likely to lead to more conflict.There is a need to manage migration, but there is also a need to manage our fears and respond generously by welcoming “the strangers”, ensuring their safety and integrating them into society. Such an approach is far more likely to lay a foundation for peaceful co-existence.
May you receive all God’s graces at this holy time and may you and your family have a blessed Christmas.
*Brislin is the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cape Town.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.