Karen and I have been struck in recent years by the plight of refugees, asylum seekers and displaced people throughout the world.  We in the UK and elsewhere in the ‘developed’ world live in what would constitute paradise for the majority of the world’s population.

Into this situation Jesus speaks (in Matthew 25) –

^{” 41} Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me …..; ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

Prompted by the wave of Syrian refugees in 2016 we contacted “Room for Refugees”, a programme run by the organisation Positive Action in Housing.  We have empty room in our home since our children have grown up and moved out which has frankly begun to weigh on me in the light of Jesus’ words.

We have had the privilege and blessing of being able to host three sets of wonderful people who were homeless and in very vulnerable places – one for a very short time, one for 6 years and a family from Ukraine who came at the beginning of July 2022 and are currently with us. 

Our first guest was a young man named Abdullah from Afghanistan, we then hosted Grace from Malawi and we are currently hosting a mother and daughter from Ukraine. Abdullah and Grace’s stories are compelling and were featured in 2017 by the Guardian Newspaper and the Readers’ Digest – see the links below.

Abdullah’s story

We received a call in February 2016 from Positive Action in Housing asking if we could host a teenage young man who was homeless.  Abdullah came from a small village in northern Afghanistan.  One day about six months earlier the Taliban raided the school he and his two brothers attended looking for young boys who they could kidnap and force to become soldiers.  Abdullah hid and the Taliban did not get him – that time.  His family discussed the situation and agreed that he should leave the country and make his way to Europe – alone.

I don’t know exactly what route Abdullah took to get to Europe but eventually he arrived in France, lived for a time in the “Jungle” in Calais and got into the UK in early December.  He was picked up by the police and handed over to the immigration authorities and registered as an asylum seeker but, because the Home Office did not believe his age, he was homeless – he had no access to support and was not permitted to work.

When he arrived at our home all he had was contained in a plastic shopping bag.  When he walked through our front door I saw our home, with all our ‘stuff’, through his eyes. The day Abdullah arrived I could be found in Purly shops in south London, with my dog collar on, looking for Halal food.  I Googled and found a Qibla App which shows you the direction of Mecca and Abdullah and I worked out where Mecca was from our spare room where Abdullah would be staying with us.  He only stayed with us a couple of days but a few months later, when we met up with him in London, he said that those two little things we did for him on his arrival completely undid the years of anti-Christian propaganda he had grown up with.  Respect and concern present a compelling picture of the way of Jesus.

We, in our ordinary house, live in what is paradise for most of the population of the world.  Hosting Abdullah, which was only for a fairly short time, and our current guest who has been with us for 4  years, both of whom were homeless, has had a profound impact on how we see the world and how we regard all our ‘stuff’.

Do yourself a favour

Do yourself a favour and consider doing something like this – I dare you!!  You are missing out on an incredibly enriching experience.

Links:

• “Airbnb for refugees” – Guardian Newspaper, UK – (About halfway down – 8 May 2017)
• “Meet the families living with refugees” – Readers’ Digest – December 2017
• Room for Refugees – Positive Action in Housing