The danger in talking about migrants and refugees is that we always talk about statistics, rather than focusing on the real people, with real faces and real names who lie behind the statistics – people who are all made in the image of God, says Fr vanThanh Nguyen SVD, a visiting Scripture scholar.
Fr vanThanh is Associate Professor of New Testament Studies at Chicago’s Catholic
Theological Union. He was in Australia recently to teach a course for The Broken Bay Institute entitled ‘Strangers, Migrants and Refugees in the Bible’, as well as give a series of talks and retreats around the country.
His visit to Australia took place in the midst of ongoing political debate over asylum seekers, just before Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that all asylum seekers who arrive by boat would be sent to Papua New Guinea and be prevented from ever settling in Australia.
Fr vanThanh says migration is as old as humanity, but is at an all-time high now, with about one in 35 people in the world being displaced.
He says a look through the Bible shows that the history of Israel and the life of Jesus, is a history of mobility.
“The Bible is loaded with stories written by and for strangers and refugees,” he says. “What is notable in all of this is that God’s mercy was shown among the displaced people.
“Migration is a central theological them that weaves throughout the Bible and it is important to note that the text gives a human face to the migrants; because that’s the danger- that we always talk about statistics. These statistics are real people, made in the image of God and by virtue of that, they must be given respect.
“What we learn in the pages of the Bible is that God cares for the vulnerable and disenfranchised; God cares for each individual, since they are made in God’s image. And this demands our compassionate response.”
He says the Bible challenges us in our own response to ‘strangers’ and outsiders.
“What we see in both the Old and the New Testaments is that hospitality is an esteemed virtue in the Bible,” Fr vanThanh says.
“So as Christians we can ask ourselves, ‘Who are the strangers who need welcoming and care in our world today?’"
Fr vanThanh’s visit to Australia coincided with the publication of his latest book, Stories of Early Christianity: Creative Retellings of Faith and History.
The book brings alive the stories of some of the lesser known characters mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and the writings of St Paul.
These include Rhoda, a maid mentioned in Acts 12:12-13, who answered the door to Peter when he escaped from prison. Others include Priscilla and Aquila, who were tentmakers working with Paul, Barnabus, who accompanied Paul on his first missionary journey, and Lydia a seller of purple cloth, who was converted by Paul.
Other characters who feature in the book are more well-known, including Our Lady, Mary of Nazareth and Matthias, the Apostle.
Fr vanTanh says that in looking imaginatively at their stories and how they might have experienced the events of the early church, such as Pentecost, he was hoping to bring these people to life and also to demonstrate some of their attributes, such as patience, encouragement and joy.
“I wrote this as a more popular and accessible type of book,” he says. “The idea was to take some of the less familiar characters in the Acts of the Apostles and creatively re-tell some of the stories of the early Church from the perspective of these characters.
“I want people to know these ordinary Christians living a life led by the Spirit, who were, in their own small ways, making a difference, not just to their own lives, but to the Church.
“My hope is that people will reflect on these stories and know that each of us, in our own way, can make a difference.”
Each chapter has points for reflection, making the book suitable for individual or group use.
Stories of Early Christianity: Creative Retellings of Faith and History is published by Liguori Publications and is available to buy on Amazon and other online stores.