39 - Summary – A Window of Opportunity

2022 No 39

When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely; and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
—Acts 16:23-25

As I write this post, I hear the day's first call to prayer. In fact, I can hear perhaps three distinct melodic tones in the morning darkness as each mosque near our apartment is competing to be heard. In many ways, the call is iconic, creating an almost mesmerizing experience. They can be heard across the Islamic world, as every mosque calls the faithful to their devotions. But like the church bells across much of Europe, they generally become background noise to a sleeping populace.

Last night, my wife and I were at a church where a group of young adults from the United States had come to lead the worship. They led in a song that was somewhat new to me. It was titled “Refiner,” and the chorus went something like this. “

I wanna be tried by fire.
Purified.
You take whatever you desire.
Lord, here's my life.

I remember thinking this was a "first-world worship song" at the time. I don't mean to be critical of those who wrote the song. For some, it may be precisely what they need to motivate them to serve our Lord. But in the migrant context in which the group presented this song last night, it had little to offer beyond a catchy tune. I am trying to imagine Paul singing this song while in prison, and the other prisoners listening. I am not sure that they would get it.

If you have endured this 16-part presentation on the Central Mediterranean Route, you know that there are not many migrants praying to be tried by fire. If they made it this far, they have already been through the fire. Like Paul's fellow prisoners in a Philippian prison, these migrants are looking for something a little bit deeper, a little bit more meaningful, and something that offers a bit more grace. They are looking for a message of hope when everything they have has already been taken away.

The challenge for western Christianity that there is a vast gap between our world and the world we seek to serve. It is not your fault that you have not been through the fire. In fact, you are incredibly blessed by your security. But when you stand next to your neighbor who has lost all, we need more than a catchy tune. Proverbs 4:7 teaches us,

"The beginning of wisdom is: acquire wisdom;
and with all your acquiring, get understanding."

Wisdom is knowing how to do things the way God would do them. Thus a prayer for wisdom is a prayer for understanding. But that understanding must be more than just academics. We have learned much on this journey, but unless that knowledge takes us to a place where we know how to share the gospel better, then this blog series will have failed.

Recognize the Opportunity

Every time I have met with a migrant, either in North Africa or in Southern Europe, I have been struck with the fact that each one is a survivor. They are the one who survived the desert, survived Libya, survived the sea, and is surviving in their current context. Many didn't make it. And when I say "didn't make it,"… I mean that they either died a very tragic death or are still stuck somewhere along the way. To use the word "lucky" doesn't even come close to describing these migrants. In my mind, they are there only by the grace of God.

When I visit with these migrants, I often share with them Jeremiah 29:11-14

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD.

I remind them that God was with them every step of the way and that he was actually guiding their footsteps, protecting them from death. I have yet to have anyone disagree with that premise. Most will testify that along the way, they became focused more on God than at any other time in their life. And such then leads to an opportunity to share the hope of the Gospel.

Recognize Your Role

When you first meet someone, you never really know where they are in their spiritual journey. Before you jump in and start telling them about Jesus, I want to encourage you to pause and listen. Remember, salvation is about a relationship. Try to model that by developing a relationship with your neighbor. In so doing, your anxiety about sharing your faith will diminish significantly, and their trust in whatever you may have to say will grow immensely. In the context of that relationship, you have the opportunity to do three things.

First, look for opportunities to point your neighbor's heart to Christ. Most are where they are because they were chasing a dream. Often that dream has proven to be elusive. Many find that the goal achieved was empty. People are searching for solid ground, and if your life is founded on that rock, then it will be evident. In a relationship, you can change how people feel about Christianity, even if they come from the hardest of backgrounds.

Second, don't miss opportunities to communicate the truth of God's word. Receptive hearts often lead to questions. Please resist the urge to give them your advice. I can almost guarantee that your context does not apply to their situation. Remember, empty (if not stupid) lyrics have little value, even if people like the tune. Please help them to find answers that are grounded in scripture. Sure, it takes more time this way, but that time only strengthens your understanding and the relationship as a whole.

You may notice that I keep coming back to relationships. Why? Because it is so crucial for this third part. It is out of a relationship that you will be in the best place to help your neighbor respond to the gospel. For many, adopting Christianity means that they will have to release one of the few cultural points of stability that they have left. It is a big decision and does not often happen quickly or without much struggle. If you are close, then God will use you to be a part of that decision.

Recognize Our Task

Over twenty years ago, I was serving a church with a great heart for missions, but she was just learning how to engage the various cultures in her community. We began a revolutionary journey for both the church and her pastor. We began to make short-term mission trips to Senegal, in West Africa. This required that we start to understand her people and her culture. Over the years, those efforts grew as we worked with migrants not just in Africa, but also in Paris and New York City. Many in our church became extremely knowledgeable and developed a passion for these migrants. They could find sub-Saharan migrants most anywhere and could engage them with ease.

But something interesting happened in the church. Our folks were not just looking for African migrants. They had grown a heart for anyone new to our community. The fruit of that heart was amazing. We began reaching and planting churches among multiple ethnic groups. (African, Caribbean, Korean, Russian, Hispanic) That taught me a valuable lesson about how to disciple God's people to love their neighbor. If you learn how to love one, you are apt to begin loving them all.

Such is why we are committed to the theme of this blog. You may say that you don't have any Africans in your community. While I doubt that statement, I recognize that they may not be your neighborhood's largest group of immigrants. And they may not be the ones who step inside your church. And I would be the first to argue that if there is another source of information about those prevalent in your area… then, by all means, spend your time there. But this I know, if you understand sub-Saharan migration, you will fall in love with your sub-Saharan neighbors. And if you love them, you will find that you also have a heart for everyone else.

Conclusion

So, where do we go from here? Well… our journey is far from over. We have spoken about the most well-known African migration route, the Central Mediterranean Route. The central route attracts the poorest migrants and carries the most significant risk. But there are certainly others. There are both Eastern and Western routes, each with its particular uniquenesses. We will address each in time.

Our next series of posts will take a closer look at the Western Route. In our journey to understanding, we will examine the historical contexts of West Africa, Morocco, and Spain. We will begin to see how and why people choose this route and the systems in place to facilitate their movements. Over half a million migrants may be trapped in Morocco, with equal numbers in Spain. But unlike Libya, the church is very active in the western Maghreb. This is where we live, and it is here that the church can truly do much.

When discussing windows of opportunity, we must constantly be reminded that they are seldom open for long. There was once a window of opportunity for the western church to encourage and support the church in Libya. That fell apart ten years ago. There was once a day when there was freedom to work across Mali, Burkina Faso, or Nigeria. Those days are past.

People are always on the move, and that trend is only increasing. Our time with our neighbors may not be very long. Because of that, we need to make good use of our time at home and around the world. Take a moment to pray for those serving the global church in distant places like North Africa and Southern Europe. Take a moment to pray for the local church as she serves those migrants in your community. Finally, ask the Lord to guide you as you love your neighbor with the love of Christ.