Does Easter resonate with the experiences of refugees?

At  a human level, Easter week begins with crowds celebrating that Jesus could be their saviour from oppressive Roman occupation. How quickly the tables are turned!  In less than a week, Jesus faces betrayal from a close friend, trumped up charges bolstered by witnesses willing to tell lies,  religious leaders  distorting his words against him, fake news and hysteria stoking crowds to turn against him and demand his death, political leaders absolving themselves from their actions against him, mockery, torture, humiliation and crucifixion despite being innocent of any crime.  It’s a long list of persecution and a deep lived experience of the suffering that refugees endure and flee.

For those who are Christians, that is neither the end nor the whole story.  The resurrection of Jesus, that humanly impossible and miraculous act of being made alive again, is the focal point of history that changes everything. Death becomes life. Fear turns to hope. Mourning changes to joy.  Love overcomes hate. New life, new beginnings, healing of past hurts all become possible.

What we offer as welcome, empathy and support is part of that Easter joy and transformation. This is at the heart of Restore’s work.  We cannot claim that all persecution disappeared on the first Easter Sunday, but we can hold onto hope and offer the hope that love overcomes hate to refugees and asylum seekers, many of whom hold onto that hope themselves.

A prayer from Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin, Churches’ Refugee Network (CRN) Chair. 
Loving Father, our hearts cry out to you at the suffering in our world: We remember and pray for the many around the world who are fleeing from wars, violence, abuse, torture, imprisonment, poverty, famine and climate change. Open our eyes, our ears and our hearts that we may respond with compassion and equity to the cries of those seeking refuge.

Give us the political will in our complex world to work together in creating a world free from abuse, war and violence; a world where we care for those who are most vulnerable; a world where all our resources are shared; a world where we give respect to each other irrespective of colour, culture or creed.

Lord Jesus, help us to remember that you and your earthly family know the experience of seeking refuge and that you travel with those today making perilous journeys to safeguard their lives and that of their families. Give us courage to work for a world in which justice, peace and love become the foundation on which we build together.

Holy Spirit, comfort and heal the brokenness in our world, strengthen and inspire us ‘to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.’

Amen

If you would like to offer welcome and new hope to a refugee or asylum seeker, please come along to Restore’s training day on Saturday 13^th June to explore the possibility of becoming a volunteer befriender.  The role of a befriender is to offer welcome, a listening ear, help with conversational English, greater understanding of life and systems in Birmingham and the UK.

One refugee wrote, “When you’re away from your home country everything looks strange and hard. These are the common reasons for stress and anxiety disorders. Having a befriender and talking and sharing your thoughts with him helps you a lot to deal with stress,  which helps you to not feel lost.”

A volunteer wrote, “I joined Restore because I was saddened by the overwhelming circumstances that faced the asylum seekers arriving in this country. It has been a blessing to help someone who comes from such a difficult background. It is so rewarding to see them develop increasing confidence and independence.”

Bringing the hope of Easter includes working for structural change and holding our Government to account. Recently over 700 faith leaders including church leaders from Birmingham wrote to the Home Secretary to raise deep concerns about plans to stop refugee families from being reunited.  At Restore, we love it when faither leaders speak truth to power!  To read the full letter please use this link https://jpit.uk/refugee-family-reunion-letter. Faith leaders can still sign the letter, using the form at the end of the same link.

Please write to your MP and ask them to oppose refugees being left in limbo on temporary status.  The Government has introduced a policy that could leave many refugees in the UK facing years of uncertainty, with their protection reviewed every 30 months leaving them in limbo for years.  The previous policy was that refugees were given refugee status for 5 years and could then apply for indefinite leave to remain or settled status.  This new scheme has been condemned by the UN refugee agency who say it “would place additional administrative and costly burdens on the asylum system, create greater uncertainty for refugees and negatively affect integration and social cohesion”. The Government has introduced these changes with a form of secondary legislation called a statutory instrument. So, the only opportunity MPs have to challenge them is by gathering enough signatures on a motion tabled by Stella Creasy MP – EDM 2908. Please use  this easy letter-writing tool to ask your MP to add their signature to EDM 2908 and challenge the Government’s new temporary refugee status plans that would see people – who the UK has recognised would be at risk of persecution in their home countries – threatened with deportation every 30 months.

This Easter, may we all know the joy, hope  and transforming power of the resurrection – individually and across our communities and nation.