Meet Matthew Soerens, the U.S. director of Church Mobilization for World Relief, where he helps evangelical churches to understand the realities of refugees and immigration and to respond in ways guided by biblical values.
He acknowledges that immigration is “a touchy topic that plenty of people would like to avoid altogether, but we’re convinced that if we’re going to obey the command that says to love your neighbor, we’ve got to figure out ways to engage this conversation.” He deals with that conversation in Costa Rica, where Nicaraguan immigrants flee, in Turkey, where Syrians look for refuge, and in Colombia, where Venezuelans seek cover.
In this episode, Soerens talks about the global extent of the problem, which affects 26 million people who leave their countries, and another 40 million who aren’t officially considered refugees because they haven’t crossed the national borders, but are nonetheless internally displaced.
“The Bible has some pretty specific things to say about how God’s people are to treat those who are foreigners in the land,” Soerens said, adding that immigrants who often are accused of “stealing jobs” often produce more than they consume.
Be sure to subscribe to Walking Through Samaria on Apple Podcast, Spotify or Stitcher today!
