The whole world is dealing with the issue of refugees and migrants, people displaced from their homes due to war, internal conflict, economic hardship, political persecution, violence, climate change, and a host of other problems. When refugees realize they cannot return home again, they long to find a new community where they can belong, rebuild their lives, and begin anew, becoming new citizens in a new nation.
Paul uses the image of a refugee to illustrate how our status changes when we come into a relationship with Jesus. We were outsiders, excluded from citizenship in the nation of God’s Chosen People (Ephesians 2:11-12). But now because of what Jesus did by his death on the cross, we can come into a relationship with the Father, through the power of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18).
The wall between us and God has crumbled!
We become members of God’s family, citizens in the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 2:19). We are no longer strangers, wandering from place to place, looking for safety and acceptance and love. We are welcomed home! Then we get to turn around and become a part of the community that welcomes others searching for safety, acceptance, and love (Ephesians 2:22).
We get to hear what we long to hear: “You have arrived! You belong! You are loved!” We get to proclaim to others who long to hear: “You have arrived! You belong! You are loved!”
What a sense of peace that truth brings for all of us who wander, seeking a place to call home, whether we’ve traveled far from the place we were born or just around the corner from where we grew up!
Questions for reflection:
- Does home evoke good memories for you? Why or why not?
- When have you felt lost or far from a place of safety? Where do you feel safest?
- How could you be a part of a community that works to welcome others who are searching for safety, acceptance, and love?