Quote of the Day

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For the last few years Christians have been singing worship songs that include lyrics like “ keep my eyes above the waves, when oceans rise . . .” and yet have rejected refugees who’ve seen loved ones die beneath waves, who themselves have literally struggled to keep from drowning in oceans. Those American Christians – particularly white evangelicals – continue to sing the words: “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders . . .” but fail to realize the shameful irony that they’re largely responsible for refusing shelter and opportunity to some of the world’s most helpless and oppressed people.

This represents a predominant theme of Westernized Christendom: proclaiming Christian rhetoric while actively – or passively – practicing the opposite in reality.

Because while the gospels instruct followers of Christ to help the poor, oppressed, maligned, mistreated, sick, and those most in need of help, Christians in America have largely supported measures that have rejected refugees, refused aid to immigrants, cut social services to the poor, diminished help for the sick, fueled xenophobia, reinforced misogyny, ignored racism, stoked hatred, reinforced corruption, and largely increased inequality, prejudice, and fear.

If Christians refuse to help and actually use their political advocacy and opinions to further hurt refugees, immigrants, women, foreigners, minorities, the poor, the oppressed, the persecuted, the sick, the LGBTQ community – and aren’t abiding by the golden rule of loving their neighbors as themselves, then who exactly are Christians supposedly loving?

– Stephen Mattson
Excerpted from "American ‘Christianity’ Has Failed"
The Guardian
January 25, 2017

Update: Mediterranean Refugee Deaths in 2017 Top 1,000 – Middle East Monitor (April 25, 2017).

See also the related Wild Reed posts:
• A Prayer for Refugees
• 2000+ Take to the Streets of Minneapolis to Express Solidarity with Immigrants and Refugees
• Vanessa Redgrave: “Just Being Alive, Staying Human, I Think That’s Infinitely Precious”
• A Prayer for Asylum Seekers Being Tear-Gassed at the Border
• Opposing the Trump Administration's Inhumane Treatment of Immigrant Families
• "What We're Seeing Here Is a Tipping Point"
• No Room for Them

Opening image: Migrant boat leaving Libyan coast. (AFP/Getty Images)