A few weeks ago in Chicago I caught a flash of a sign outside an old stone church. In place of service times and hours of operation, it simply read "We're Christians, of course we welcome refugees."
My mouth hung open, as our uber driver continued to whip around the corner and the sign was gone. So simple, so profound.
I'm going to be honest with you, I don't really care about making America great again. America, like Rome and Greece and Babylon and the British Empire will come and go. While I'm deeply grateful for the education, opportunity, and relative freedom being American has given me, I'm not nationalistic.
I think that's maybe my parents fault for raising me in Central Asia, in a Muslim city where we could play hide-n-go seek around ancient mosques and hear the call to prayer, that distant yearning for something more meaningful at five in the morning.
Although I always knew that we believed different things, that didn't stop my Uzbek friends from being little, laughing, brown-eyed girls from being humans with hopes and dreams.
We're Christians, of course we welcome refugees.
Of course we champion the cause of the defense-less, perhaps even at our own risk, because Jesus came for us at His own risk. And he calls us to pick up our crosses and follow him. Of course we gather in the homeless, the huddled masses, the orphans and widows because it's what we're commanded to do. How can I claim the love of Christ, and not give myself up for the sake of other's? It's my conviction that I cannot.
We aren't made for this world, this kingdom, this America. We were made for a kingdom that is yet to come. Let's hold onto that promise! Let's pour our energy, our time, our love, our sacrifice, our names into that kingdom. One that will never fade.
So if you're like me and feel like you wish there was something you could do to help, to speak up, to make your voice heard for those who have no voice of their own, I'd ask you to sign this petition to help keep our arms open towards refugees, in the knowledge that real love often costs us our very souls, and that anything cheaper isn't worth it.
