A few weeks ago I travelled up to Stoke for a friends asylum appeal. My friend is a Afghan Christian and his case will be decided based on whether or not the courts will accept his claim to faith in Jesus. I got the news not long ago that his claim has been rejected and now we must wait for the news on whether or not an further appeal is viable. Sitting in the court listening to the Home Office representative deride his claim to faith and his practice of Christianity, was a heartbreaking experience. If only that representative could come and speak to us one Sunday morning! She questioned my friend’s faith as she claimed that he had not evangelised in the last six months since moving half way across the country, fleeing religious persecution right here in Canterbury, he had not settled into a local church since moving there. Now by “evangalised” she meant that he had not printed out any leaflets to distribute, but she understood nothing of what it means to bear wittiness to Christ’s death and resurrection - if only she knew my friend, she would see that there are few truer “christ-bearers” than him.

By the official measure most of us would be found wanting. The judge, the Home Office representative as well as my friends barrister had all failed to really understand the content of Christian faith. While they argued about the finer points of religious observance, I fumed that these three, with no knowledge whatsoever of the meaning of faith, would judge the veracity of my friends claim and so decide his fate. The truth is, he would be better off if he was religious, but religious Christians aren't persecuted in Afghanistan. You see my friend will bear witness to Christ even as he faces death. I know because I have seen him do it, but such faith is incomprehensible in our society. Having been baptised in an underground church in Iran he had no "documentation" of his baptism (funnily enough neither do I!) So he was baptised again in detention as without proof of baptism the Home Office refuse to accept that it has taken place, yet in court he is all but accused of apostasy for being baptised twice! There is a well documented culture of disbelief in our asylum system which sends so many people back into terrible situations on a daily basis. Yet Jesus calls us to treat those who seek refuge in our land with dignity and respect.

My parents came to the UK as refugees, fleeing civil war in my native Sri Lanka and fearing that I might be kidnapped and forced to fight as a child soldier. So many of my people were not so lucky. I am grateful to the country that took us in but it is out of love for this, my adopted home that I am moved to speak up when I see us going down a dangerous road. One which ends in hatred for the other, mistrust of the stranger and violence towards foreigners. We still live off the spoils of oppression. Wealth and power obtained by the sins of our predecessors. Britain’s place in the world, our wealth and influence were obtained immorally. Over 80% of the worlds refugees are displaced internally or in neighbouring countries. Yet how many of the wars have been perpetrated by our own government? How many of the conflicts which we are not involved in are the parties armed and financed by our own heavily subsidised arms industry? Even today as the government seeks to build a “rehabilitation centre” in Afghanistan so that they can start sending Afghan children back into a war zone which is of our own making. Yet so many of us, even in the church cannot find it in their hearts to welcome even the few that make it to our shores alive, not even those Christians fleeing religious persecution find warmth and community in the English church.

Our God is the same that brought Israel up out of Egypt, the God who as a child sought asylum in Egypt again, He is on the side of the persecuted and the oppressed. Whether they be Christians from Afghanistan, Muslims from Palestine, homosexuals from Uganda or Tamils from Sri Lanka. God is passionately concerned about the well being of the oppressed. Now of course that is no basis for an argument for a more compassionate, just and reasonable asylum system in and of itself. As we engage in public dialogue we cannot use scripture as a proof for a policy position! It is our responsibility to translate that rationale into a position which is reasonable, intelligible and credible to those from a different faith tradition or from no faith tradition. So I am speaking to the church here not to government. This is our tradition, these are our reasons, this is the story which we have been “graffted into”. As far as we are concerned, we must begin to live out of that great story, the one to which that great cloud of witnesses bear testimony. There is a story which is not dominated by church growth stratergies, small groups and Sunday meetings. It is the story in which our God is the principal actor, the story of His struggle for the liberation of the oppressed. Whose side are you on?

And how can you begin to live like you’re a part of this “Kingdom”? Here are a few suggestions on were to start.

1. "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Hebrews 13:2
2. Volunter - mentor a young asylum seeker or visit someone in detention at Dover.
3.  Email your MP - tell them you want a compassionate and welcoming asylum policy.
4. Share your experiences and suggestions in the comments.