Syrian Refugees and a Spirit of Fear

I have been avoiding Facebook recently. For some reason it seems a bit like drudgery now. I may get back into it, of course. I have only been checking it every few days, just to make sure that I haven’t missed an important message.

I saw several posts about State Governors making statements about not wanting Syrian refugees in their states. Don’t get me wrong, Governors are part of Government and one of Government’s roles (at least in the Western world) is to protect Citizens. This post isn’t really about these Governors, though, or even really about their statements. This post is about Christian response to what is going on.

Please know that I am not trying to Condemn anyone (that would be siding with the Enemy). Nor am I trying to Convict anyone (that is Holy Spirit’s job).

You see, I am writing because I think that many of the Christian responses that I have seen (and like I said, I haven’t been on Facebook much, so I haven’t seen most of the posts that are even on my feed) are based on Fear.

Someone might say, ‘But isn’t fear a reasonable response?’

Fear is a reasonable response, if you are Helpless. But if Christians thinks that they are Helpless, then they have lost touch with who (and Whose) they are.

Here is Psalm 121 in the ESV:

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills.

      From where does my help come?

² My help comes from the Lord,

      who made heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved;

      he who keeps you will not slumber.

⁴ Behold, he who keeps Israel

      will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is your keeper;

      the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

⁶ The sun shall not strike you by day,

      nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all evil;

      he will keep your life.

⁸ The Lord will keep

      your going out and your coming in

      from this time forth and forevermore. ^[1]

‘Ah,’ someone might say, ‘but that was only one of the Psalms of Ascents. It has nothing to do with the life of a Christian.’

Here is Romans 8:15 in the ESV:

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”^[2]

Here is John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid (ESV).^[3]

In context, Jesus is speaking to His Disciples of His going away. The Fear He was addressing specifically was their Fear of His going. It was for all Christians. In this same passage, Jesus speaks of the coming of our Helper, Holy Spirit. (See John 14:16, 26.) And Holy Spirit was not given to only the Twelve and Paul. (See Ephesians 1:13-14.)

Now, here is 2 Timothy 1:7 in the ESV:

for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. ^[4]

In context, Paul is speaking of Salvation and Calling to Ministry. So, the Spirit of Fear is not part of the package of Salvation. It is not what we are supposed to be moving in. We are not supposed to be making decisions based upon Fear. So how is it that Fear seems to be a driving force for so many Christians?

Have we forgotten the Love of our Father in Heaven? Do we Trust Him so little? Is our conception of God too small?

And this woke me up last night (Matthew 25:31-40, ESV):

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’^[5]

Rather, the negative side of this woke me up last night. (See Matthew 25:41-46.)

How can we turn from the need represented by these Syrian refugees? How can we turn a blind eye to it? Is the Love of our Father in us, or not?

Will we be driven by Love or by Fear?

To put it more bluntly, will we side with God or with the Enemy?

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^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ps 121:1–8). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Ro 8:15). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[3] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Jn 14:27). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[4] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (2 Ti 1:6–7). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

^[5] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2001). (Mt 25:31–40). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.