On the Refugee Crisis and Following Jesus

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I felt compelled this morning to speak on this. As I was driving to Denver for my flight, these words started coming and I used the voice-to-text to track my thoughts (which I love since a lot of my deep thoughts tend to come to me while driving :)) I shared on Facebook and Instagram, but thought I'd share here so (hopefully) more people can read.  In light of the recent terrorist attacks and refugee crisis, opinions are being widely spread about what our role might (or might not) be. I too have felt conflicted. Dan and I have almost finished the paperwork process for the URM (Unaccompanied Refugee Minor) Program through Lutheran Family Services here in Colorado Springs. We will probably be on 'the list" come January. This list that says "this family will take in a group of refugee minors who need safety, care, and love. And to be honest, I'm terrified! It's not an easy step for me for many reasons (I'll probably go into this another time). And Dan and I have been talking about it and praying about what to do.But today, I felt compelled to write this - and I think it's for me.Jesus said "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." How radical and challenging (and beautiful!) is that?! As followers of Jesus, Christians should be an example of that radical love. A love that defies human expectation. A love that is so big, so wide, so deep, that people are stunned and amazed and want to know this God of Love. What does "love your enemies" look like right now in our world? How to we follow in the footsteps of Jesus to live and love radically without fear? We all know this is nearly impossible to do - to really love someone who causes harm...So why does Jesus say this to his followers? Because that's what he does and that's the kind of love he has for all of humanity.Love doesn't mean condone evil or condone the mistreatment of others- but what it does mean is compassion. I don't know about you but I find it hard to have compassion for those who hurt others intentionally and brutally... But it doesn't mean I should repay evil for evil- and according to Jesus, it means much more than not doing something- it means doing something - acting in Love. That's where prayer comes in. By some miracle, God by his Spirit can change even our hardened hearts to pray for and maybe even love our enemies. Christianity doesn't equal patriotism. Christianity should equal loving God, loving our neighbors as ourselves, loving our enemies, and praying for those who persecute... A follower of Jesus should represent humility, faith, peace that surpasses understanding, and A love that causes people to wonder. We aren't perfect but if we humbled ourselves and truly practiced living for him and like him,we would look a lot more like this Love. One practical way that Dan and I are trying to do this is beginning the process to foster unaccompanied refugee children. We'd love to share more for those that are interested in maybe doing the same. We are in the early stages and don't know very much. We are looking to connect with others who have done this and in the future, I would love to be a source of encouragement for anyone else choosing this path. I know it won't be easy but it will be beautiful - because it's LOVE.