Reasonableness and the Refugee Crisis

My newsfeed is bursting at the seams with posts about the refugee crisis. Christians and non-Christians, Democrats and Republicans are adamantly expressing their support for one side of the debate or the other—should we take Syrian refugees or should we not?

What has struck me about many of the comments (on both sides) is that they treat the issue as if it is black-and-white, largely ignoring the complexity of the situation.

Any of you who know my background in studying history know that I’m all about avoiding oversimplification, and the comments on this issue reek of it.  So my plea with all of you today is that, whatever your position is, you evaluate it and the other side with reasonableness, recognizing that this very well could be a “both/and” not an “either/or” issue.

For example, Christians who are emphasizing our responsibility to be compassionate are not incorrect; we are to show compassion to others. However, some of those same Christians are assuming—without seeking to understand the reasons and thought-processes behind the objection—that if anyone objects to accepting Syrian refugees they are necessarily being uncompassionate and untrue to the gospel.

Similarly, Christians who think we should delay accepting Syrian refugees accuse those who want to allow them in of being foolish and naïve.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this should not be! We, of all people, should be good thinkers and good listeners! Remember the exhortation the Holy Spirit gave us through the apostle Paul: “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;” (Philip. 4:5).

While you are trying to contend for the gospel, do not become a stumbling block through your unreasonableness and/or pride. Because the truth is, it’s possible to be compassionate and wise at the same time. What we need to focus on, then, is how to do just that.