Looking Back to Radical Hospitality for Refugees

                                           Refugees in Revival Tabernacle Church, Summer of 2023

...for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’

                                         Matthew 25: 35-36 NRSVue

We heard one of those 'significant stories of the year" pieces on CBC Radio this morning. This one was about the crisis of accommodation for refugees in Toronto during the summer when many of the newcomers were camped in tents in front of the offices which were supposed to support them. 

This story focussed on a woman from Uganda who fled because of LGBTQ2S persecution there. She was taken in by a female pastor from one of the Black congregations in the city that ended up sheltering hundreds of these refugees who had come from African nations. In this case, the pastor and her family welcomed this woman and a number of others who slept on the living room floor of their apartment. 

This demonstration of Christian hospitality was touching and even more so because the pastor is with an evangelical congregation that sees homosexuality as a sin. Yet when she was interviewed she stated that for her the gospel is love and these were persons, loved by God, who needed her support. She even told the refugee woman about the Pride Parade and got her there to help her understand that she would be safe in Canada.

Uganda has passed harsh anti-LGBTQ2S legislation which could result in imprisonment or the death penalty. What is so difficult to comprehend is that this is endorsed by many church leaders in the country. There are also evangelical groups from the United States who have provided financial support to anti-gay churches even though they are essentially supporting persecution. It's a terrible reality which has resulted in people fleeing the country and sickeningly ant-gospel. 

Eventually these Toronto churches were unable to continue housing the refugees but they were moved to other shelters rather than put back onto the streets.  I'm grateful for the pastor whose voice we heard today and the practical ministry of Christ's love by her congregation. The CBC piece reminded me of the importance of prayer for the LGBTQ2S community of Uganda.