To the 68% Who Aren’t Thrilled About Refugees

So I’m still trying to figure out why people pay money for ripped jeans and why cauliflower has become a pizza crust so I guess you could say that there are a lot of things that still really confuse me around here.

But there’s one thing that has me especially perplexed: American Christians’ aversion to refugees. 

A couple of years ago, a Pew Research Center Study reported this: “By more than two-to-one (68% to 25%), white evangelical Protestants say the U.S. does not have a responsibility to accept refugees. Other religious groups are more likely to say the U.S. does have this responsibility. And opinions among religiously unaffiliated adults are nearly the reverse of those of white evangelical Protestants: 65% say the U.S. has a responsibility to accept refugees into the country, while just 31% say it does not.”

Seriously, I don’t get it. Help me out here; I need to understand. What is it about being a “white evangelical protestant” in particular that makes a person so averse to America accepting refugees? Now, I get that saying “the U.S. does not have a responsibility to accept refugees” isn’t the same thing as saying, “We don’t want them here.” But the sentiment is related. Right? 

The other night the kids and I were watching WorldWatch (which is awesome, by the way), and I got up and cheered when I heard the announcement that Biden had finally raised the refugee cap to 62,500 for this year. The kids looked at me like I was a weirdo (which happens a lot these days, like when I say they have to use their own money to buy ripped jeans). But it gave me a good opportunity to explain to them why I was celebrating, and since some of my readers might also be thinking I’m a weirdo, I’ll take this chance to explain myself to you too.

There’s this thing called The Great Commission. You know the one, where Jesus’ last words to his disciples are to go to the ends of the earth and preach the gospel to every nation of the earth. His last words. Obviously, this command was a pretty big deal. We know this, right? This is Sunday School stuff; we learned this when we were five. This is why we have missions conferences and have prayer cards stuck to our fridges and spend millions of dollars sending missionaries to the ends of the earth.

But here’s the thing: Some of those parts of the ends of the earth are incredibly difficult for missionaries to get into. They are war zones or police states or the governments are in such chaos that a foreigner can’t get a visa. That doesn’t stop missionaries from trying, of course, but still, it’s a big challenge. But guess what? Many of those same countries are the ones where refugees are coming from, places like Afghanistan, Syria, Somalia, Myanmar, and South Sudan. 

So do you get where I am going with this? Since we as Christians, in reflecting God’s heart, have a passion for the nations, then knowing that people from the hardest-to-get-to countries could be moving into our own neighborhoods should cause us to stand up and cheer. What an incredible opportunity! What an extraordinary chance to fulfill the Great Commission, right in our own backyards! 

Ironically, it was evangelical Christian organizations that put the pressure on Biden to raise the refugee cap. The quarter of evangelicals that are pro-refugee are willing to be noisy about it. But today I’m writing to that other 68% of white evangelical protestants who aren’t so sure. Is there a way to reframe this so that you can get excited too?

If it makes you feel better, remember the statistic that not a single American has ever died in a terrorist attack perpetrated by a refugee. This makes sense when you think about it, because refugees are the ones escaping persecution and death threats and war. They aren’t likely to be eager to seek the destruction of others. They are just indescribably relieved to finally be safe.  And because they are in a new place and re-learning to do life all over again, think how grateful they will be when someone reaches out to them. Think about what an incredible testimony it will be to the gospel of Christ if that someone is a Christian! 

If you want to get into the mind of a refugee, I highly recommend Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. Daniel’s story is a memoir, told through the perspective of his twelve-year-old self. His mother is a Iranian woman who became a Christian and fled for her life with her two small children, eventually ending up in Oklahoma. The book is brilliant, and has won many awards, but I eventually gave up on reading it out loud to my kids since its non-linear format and intense descriptions didn’t work for my younger kids. But Grace and I went on to read the rest of it on our own, and it was profoundly moving. I praise God that America could be a safe haven for this incredible family.

And I want that for so many other families too. For the Christians escaping persecution, of course, but also for so many who need not just physical salvation, but spiritual salvation too. Perhaps, if we’re lucky, we might get to play a part in introducing these image-bearers of God not just to American freedom, but to eternal freedom as well. 

Note of clarification added 5/13: The process to gain refugee status in the United States (and become one of the 62,500 let in this year), is very different than the process of seeking asylum at the border. Refugees apply from outside the United States and go through a 1-2 year vetting process before they are admitted. The refugee program is specifically for those whose lives are in danger in their home country and is not an option for those who appear at the border. I wrote about the border crisis here: What Did I Ever Do to Deserve This Blue Passport? I should make clear that though I have a lot of compassion for those seeking asylum in our country, I do not believe in open borders. But open borders are not what I am encouraging when I say that I celebrate more refugees coming into the United States.

*photos by Gil Medina