"Do They Hear You When You Cry?"
Sermon Presented August 15, 2004
(Matthew 25:31-46)
Several years ago as I was driving back to Marysville from Kansas City I heard something on NPR that caught my attention. The one being interviewed was an attorney who as a law student had represented a young woman from Togo, Africa who had fled to the United States seeking asylum. The young woman was Fauziya Kassingja, who at the age of 17, was forced to marry a man she barely knew who already had three wives. Her new husband then required her to prepare for the tribal ritual of female genital mutilation - a practice performed without painkillers or antibiotics. But hours before the ritual was to take place, Fauziya's sister helped her escape to Germany and from there to the United States to find asylum and freedom.
However, when she arrived in the US, she was stripped, shackled and locked in various INS detention centers for 16 months where she quickly deteriorated emotionally and physically. When she appeared to be without hope, her case came to the attention of a 23 year-old law student who determined to help her. Ultimately Fauziya was granted asylum in 1996 - breaking ground for asylum for other women based on gender-based persecution.
Fauziya, with the help of her attorney, wrote a book about this experience. I was a road hazard as I attempted to write the title and author while driving down the highway - catching only the title. The next day I called the library and procured it. It was as compelling a read as The Da Vinci Code and it was factual!
I hadn't thought of the book for years until a few weeks ago when a young woman entered the office and asked for a few minutes of my time. Her name was Ako Hasegawa and she represents the Lutheran Social Services Refugee and Immigrant Program. This organization will be placing over 80 Somali-Bantu refugees in Milwaukee by the end of this year and they need help.
Something inside of me ignited as I listened to her. In my rational mind, I understand what a great undertaking it would be for Roundy to sponsor a refugee family. More than the financial outlay - which would probably be about $2000 -$2500 - would be a huge time commitment from several of our people. Questions came to mind as to how to enlist your help and that of another ABC Church so that this could be a joint effort. How could I bring this need to the congregation in such a way that you could sense both the excitement and the healthy apprehension of such an undertaking?
After speaking to the Advisory Board of my concern for these refugees, I decided to preach a sermon to encourage you to consider acting on this need. As you know, I usually take a text and see what God wants to say to us through the text, and then I prepare the sermon. This time I wanted to find a text to prove my message - just the reverse of my normal procedure. I looked at Hebrew texts on sanctuary - a place of refuge and asylum where protection was provided. However, I decided on a familiar text from Matthew's Gospel: Matthew 25:31-46.
I wondered what the ABC position was on refugee resettlement. Since I have been in the ABC only 10 years, I decided to investigate. I knew that in past years Prairie Baptist in Prairie Village, KS sponsored several Laotian families and opened their church to a Laotian congregation. The Laotians now have their own place of worship. Beulah and Bruce gave me a booklet titled Refugee Resettlement: Restoring Hope published in 1998 by National Ministries. It told of ABC's 50-year history of active participation in resettlement efforts.
I then called Arlo Reichter, our ABC of WI Executive Minister, to see if there are efforts currently under way in the ABC to address this need in Milwaukee. His answer was negative, but he was enthusiastic that this is a consideration. He suggested that I contact Carmen Porco who heads the ABC Wisconsin Housing Ministry - and in particular the Greentree-Teutonia apartment complex in Milwaukee. I visited with Carmen last week. I spoke with one ABC minister about a partnership, should we decide to do this, and when he declined, I approached another. As you can see, this prospect has grabbed me.
There is not only a history of refugee resettlement in the ABC, there is a history in our nation. Last week I reread the words inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. Hear them again: "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teaming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tos't to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door." For more than a century, these words have stood as a beacon to guide the peoples of the world to refuge.
Resettling refugees isn't just an approved ABC and National endeavor; most importantly, it is based on Jesus' teaching. In our text, Jesus completely identifies with the poor, lonely, hungry, sick and imprisoned. I was hungry. I was thirsty. I was a stranger. I was in prison. When we meet and minister to those in need, we meet and minister to Jesus. (And by the way, Jesus doesn't say that he is present only in Christians. The refugees from Somalia are Sunni Muslims!)
In this text, Jesus says that judgment is determined solely by the care we give to the needy in everyday life. Our faith in Jesus is lived out when we show compassion for needy people and our care for them is care for Jesus. Our love for them is love shown to Jesus.
I think it's interesting that in our text, both the blessed and the damned are surprised. Those banished to eternal punishment miscalculated what it takes to gain eternal life and those rewarded attended to the needs of others with such naturalness that they were surprised that their acts were important in the grand scheme of things.
Jesus calls for more than lip service. He calls us to compassionate action. Compassion isn't pity! Pity suggests distance - even condescendence. When I was in Mexico City and saw the streets lined with destitute people, many with physical deformities, I pitied them. Compassion means to become close to the one who suffers and do something to help. When we act with compassion, we are the ones who receive - right then! God wants to give us a divine heart.
The question for us is: Why would we spend inordinate amounts of time and money caring for a family of a different race, religion, and language that has escaped to the US with nothing but hope? The reason we might do it is because such an action puts us in the category of those blessed by God - those for whom the Kingdom of God was prepared. By our actions we would literally feed the hungry, cloth the naked, welcome the stranger and release those who would face death if they remained in Somalia. We would do it as to Jesus! We would say to the community that we are a congregation that cares about others. We would act as if we believe that Eternal Life isn't just life after death but begins here on this earth.
How would Roundy participate should you choose to do so? I will give a brief summary, but you will learn more at the business meeting when Debby Hughes from Kingo Lutheran and Ako Hasegawa from Lutheran Social Services speak. Bill Kalke from Bay Shore Lutheran will be present next Sunday following worship to answer questions.
Before we can make a commitment to sponsor a family, we must have these things in place. Unless all criteria are met, we won't proceed.
- A person or couple must be in place to lead the effort.
- Six to eight people from Roundy committed to help.
- $2000 to $2500 pledged to the effort by Roundy people.
- Another congregation to work with us with matching people and money.
If/when these criteria are met, we will know this is something we should do.
Hear this story. An old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had begun. "Could it be," asked one student, "when you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it's a sheep or a dog?" "No," answered the rabbi. Another asked, "Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it's a fig tree or a peach tree?" "No," answered the rabbi. "Then when is it?" the pupils demanded. "It is when you can look on the face of any woman or man and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night." (Tales of the Hasidim)
As followers of Jesus, we are invited to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and welcome the stranger. Does refugee resettlement fit into that invitation for Roundy? Can we see an African Sunni Muslim family as our brothers and sisters? Are we willing to sacrifice time and money to make this happen? I will leave you with the questions. You hold the answers.
