Afrikaner refugees vs reality

June newsletter article

On Monday, May 12th, 59 white South African farmers (Afrikaners) arrived in the US, because according to the President, they were being persecuted in South Africa. They were said to be political refugees, despite no news of any sort of persecution being reported inside or outside of South Africa. While they are a minority, making up around 7% of South Africa’s population, they own around 80% of the farmland, giving them continued economic influence after losing political dominance with the end of apartheid. Shortly after their arrival, the Episcopal Church refugee relocation service was asked to help with settling the Afrikaners as a requirement of a refugee settlement grant from the government. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe released a statement saying that the Episcopal Church would not provide assistance because, “In light of our church’s steadfast commitment to racial justice and reconciliation and our historic ties with the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, we are not able to take this step.” This is now the second time that the church has confronted the President and his policies over their unfairness and questionable moral foundation. I could not be more proud of my church at the moment.

We hold a core belief that is founded on the second commandment from God and the following parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke chapter 10, that there is no qualification of who our neighbor is that we should love as much as we love ourselves. The President has made it clear that our generosity should go only to those who are of white European ancestry to the exclusion of other races or ethnicities. That other non-white refugees and non-white residents of the US have been denied entry or deported shows blatant, unapologetic racism and white supremacy condoned by the President. These attitudes and beliefs go against what we, as Christians, are taught by Jesus in scripture regarding humility (the last will be first in the kingdom of God) and the unconditional love of God (healing the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter).

President Trump is not acting completely from his own belief, however. Many of his supporters do not see a problem with favoring white Afrikaners over Middle Eastern or Central Asian refugees, or a problem with choosing to remain silent where they do see a wrong. They appear to be motivated by fear of losing their privilege (the first will be last in the kingdom of God), or assume that the world is zero-sum, where someone else’s gain means they must lose something because of some ill-defined limited resource. What informs Presiding Bishop Rowe’s statement is the belief that the kingdom of God is not subject to human limitations, and that there is a place at the table for all who come seeking care, protection, and safety that comes from God’s love. We do not share our Christian brothers’ and sisters’ emphasis that Jesus is returning very soon to wipe away all sin and bring the kingdom to the true believers. We emphasize instead that Jesus said that the kingdom is near and is already here when we follow his way of life. We have to be sure that we make room for those among us who feel that they have been excluded and left behind in favor of non-white refugees, whether it is true or not.

There will always be fear of the unknown, the unfamiliar, and of difference. There will always be a sense of unfairness when others unlike us are given favors. But, if we are to trust in Jesus and trust in God, we have to trust in them and the Holy Spirit to show us where injustice lies, even when it seems to be in contradictory situations. It is only then that we will see the kingdom and feel comfortable sharing it with our black, Arab, Asian, Latino, and white neighbors.

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