Migrants and Refugees: Christian Faith and the Globalization of Solidarity

Abstract

Abstract This article examines how Pope Francis's Evangelii Gauclium, WCC's Together towards Life, and Third Lausanne Congress' Cape Town Commitment bring out three interrelated and overlapping dimensions of mission. When viewed in age of migration, these include a threefold process of denunciation, annunciation, and promotion. Evangelii Gauclium speaks of denunciation of a globalization of indifference that has made us unresponsive to plight of migrant poor. Together towards Life speaks about annunriation of God of life through a renewed commitment to justice and peace. The Cape Town Commitment speaks about promotion of reign of Jesus' kingdom through love and service, especially for those like migrants who are poor and marginalized. Underneath collective vision of these three voices, a more fundamental migration urges churches to move from established institutional comfort zones into new territories of risk, vulnerability, and possibility. While divisions remain, new strategies are emerging to engage in a common faith, a common humanity, and a common care for those considered least and last in human community. ********** In spring of 2011, a group of sub-Saharan migrants departed by boat from Libya in hope of fleeing violence in their homeland and finding refuge on European shores. As they departed coast of Africa and headed north, they were intercepted by Italian authorities, who escorted their ship to a nearby port. En route, ship's rudder broke, boat drifted, and it crashed into rocks on nearby island of Lampedusa. Many of migrants jumped into water, but because they were unable to swim, many of them drowned. In recent years tiny island of Lampedusa has become almost synonymous with maritime disasters involving migrants and refugees. Newspaper headlines give us a window into scale of human tragedy: New Migrant Boat Disaster Off Lampedusa; (1) Die as Burning Boat Capsizes Off Italy; (2)700 Migrants Feared Dead in Mediterranean Shipwreck. (3) The International Organization of Migration estimates that in 2014, more than 3,000 migrants died in Mediterranean region in places like Lampedusa. Add to these more than 40,000 documented migrant deaths globally since year 2000--although actual numbers are most certainly higher than these official estimates--and loss of life comes into even sharper focus. (4) Stories abound from around world about migrants who die in deserts, freeze in mountains, suffocate in train boxcars, and drown in rivers and seas. The scope of issue has become so widespread, and its implications so far reaching, that some scholars have referred to our own times as the age of (5) Not only does migration affect sending communities, but it shapes contours of mission as well. As church seeks to be a voice of life at this time in history, it must continually ask, what is relationship between bad news associated with these events and good news of gospel? This article seeks to look at responses of various Christian communities to growing challenges posed by international migration. In particular it will look at Evangelii Gaudium (EG) by Pope Francis, Together towards Life (TTL) by World Council of Churches (WCC), and The Cape Town Commitment (CTC) by Lausanne Movement. These documents not only share common vision of reaching out to person of Christ in person of immigrant, but they also point to how migration is transforming our understanding of Christian faith, Christian discipleship, and Christian mission today. My argument here is that amidst growing fragmentation of society manifested in phenomenon of migration, heart of Christian message speaks of call to globalize solidarity, beginning with most vulnerable and neglected members of human community. …