Thursday, May 12
by the Rev. Jennifer Schick
World Refugee Day is designated by the United Nations for June 20 of every year. But because June is already full of other observances that deserve attention, the Bishop of Toronto has designated Sunday, May 15, 2022 as a day dedicated focus to the work of refugee sponsorship and resettlement.
Although our parish will not be focusing on this day this year, I wanted to share with you an excerpt from Bishop’s Andrew’s pastoral charge on this topic. Sunday May 15th is also the day when the Tymohschuk family will be arriving from Ukraine via Poland, to begin a new life in Whitby and we uphold them and their sponsor Debra McQuoid in prayer.
Bishop Andrew writes:
At the time of our first annual Refugee Sunday in May 2021, the world was already witnessing the highest levels of human displacement in history. According to the UN High Commission on Refugees, there are 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, nearly half of whom are children under the age of 18. We have all seen the videos, photos and headlines over the past year: Afghanistan falling to the Taliban last August; civil war ravaging Ethiopia; and most recently, Russia’s continuing assault on Ukraine – not to mention ongoing conflicts in other parts of the world.
Hospitality toward the stranger and foreigner is a theme that runs through Scripture. In the Torah, the people of Israel were reminded to welcome the stranger and sojourner, remembering their own history in the land of Egypt. Jesus, who as a child was himself a refugee, fleeing to Egypt to escape the evil King Herod, reminds us that to welcome the stranger is to welcome Him in our midst.
Reflecting on the biblical narrative, as some parishioners in the parish study the creeds, I wish to share with you also a version of the creed written by The Rev. Jose Luis Casal. The Immigrant Apostle’s Creed I believe in Almighty God,who guided the people in exile and in exodus, the God of Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon, the God of foreigners and immigrants. I believe in Jesus Christ, a displaced Galilean,who was born away from his people and his home,who fled his country with his parents when his life was in danger.When he returned to his own countryhe suffered under the oppression of Pontius Pilate,the servant of a foreign power.Jesus was persecuted, beaten, tortured and unjustly condemned to death. But on the third day Jesus rose from the dead,not as a scorned foreigner but to offer us citizenship in God’s kingdom. I believe in the Holy Spirit,the eternal immigrant from God’s kingdom among us, who speaks all languages, lives in all countries,and reunites all races.I believe that the Church is the secure homefor foreigners and for all believers.I believe that the communion of saints beginswhen we embrace all God’s people in all their diversity. Today as we go about our daily lives, let us give remember and give thanks for the freedom and peace we have in this land and remember our Call as Christians is to welcome all, and to love all, just as Jesus loves and welcomes us. Prayer: Holy and merciful God, You have created us all in your image,We exist because of the radical welcome that You granted each one of us at birth, You have created us as refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants,You have called us to be your hands and feet in the world,to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked and set the captives free,God, hear our prayer for peace, for justice, for community,Hear our prayer for your will on earth to be as it is in heaven.Be with us now, God, empower us, guide us, sustain us and glorify us in your name. Amen.
