by TW, Middle East Coordinator
Millions of immigrants, refugees, displaced persons and travelers around the world are living in cultures and contexts that are different from the ones in which they were raised. The UN states that at the end of 2020, around 281 million people lived in a country different from where they were born. In the Middle East where I live and work, we are witnessing this mass movement of people on a large scale. Many of our neighbors have experienced crises in recent years, forcibly displacing millions of people. Amid these challenging and heartbreaking circumstances, we are seeing God use the migration of people to open doors that allow least-reached peoples to hear the Good News of Jesus—perhaps for the first time.
In addition to migration rates rising, countries that have historically been closed to the Gospel are now loosening their restrictions. On the Arabian Peninsula, immigrants from Asia, Europe and the US are carrying with them the Good News of Jesus as they take jobs in oil, trades and other fields. Other places that remain closed for Westerners are often accessible by Arab and Persian Christians who can go there and serve their least-reached neighbors.
Mission is from everywhere to everywhere, and this movement of people has provided unique opportunities for Christians to serve their new neighbors, many of whom come from least-reached contexts. In Egypt, for example, there are more than 9 million immigrants and refugees. Following the crisis in Sudan last year, Egyptian Christians traveled to the border awaiting the refugees who would cross into Egypt. There, they provided holistic care such as blankets, medical supplies, money for transportation to Cairo and more. Many refugees decided to follow Jesus as a direct result of the loving touch they received by Christians upon entering the country. The same thing is happening among Iraqi refugees in Jordan, Syrian refugees across the Middle East and Yazidi refugees in Iraq. This story was shared by one of Frontier Fellowship’s partners in Egypt:
Our workers visited a woman who was a refugee in need of support. They brought her food and discovered during the visit that her son was very ill. They took him to the hospital. At the hospital, she had a strange question, “Why are you doing this? Why this love?” One of the team members explained that it was the love of Jesus that compelled them to love others. The woman said, “I need to know more about the love of Jesus. Can you tell me about it?” They explained what the Bible was, and explained the Good News of Jesus to her. They gave her a Bible and told her that the love of Jesus is explained in the Bible. She decided to pray with them and gave her life to Jesus.
Millions of people are on the move, many of whom come from hard situations. They need love, they need peace, they need mercy. They need somebody to care for them. Those whom we couldn’t reach before are now next door to us. So let us open our eyes and raise our awareness that we can reach them where they are now. This is the golden opportunity that God is giving the global Church. Maybe you couldn’t go before, but now least-reached peoples are coming to you. Each of us has a role to play in extending the loving touch of Jesus to our neighbors—how can you show the love of God to people on the move in your community?
June 20 is World Refugee Day. Frontier Fellowship has compiled a recommended reading list and a “Next Steps” guide for engaging displaced peoples. Click here to contact a member of our team for more ways to connect with refugees, immigrants and other displaced persons in your community.
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