A Life in Exile

There was a day when a Christian missionary had to move to the country of origin in order to reach that specific ethnic or people group with the gospel. Think about these numbers. They are the percentage of a country’s ethnic population living abroad:

• 45% of Palestinians
• 36.4% of Guianans
• 34% of those from Bosnia and Herzegovina
• 30.7% of Albanians
• 30% of Syrians
• 28.6% of Jamaicans
• 26.8% of Armenians
• 26.2% of Emiratis
• 21% of South Sudanese
• 20.4% of El Salvadorians
• 18.5% of Eritreans
• 16.6% of Venezuelans
• 15.3% of Irish*

The Lord is shaking the nations.

This is just a small sample of the 195 nations represented in our world today, and we know that within those nations are multiple varieties of people groups, speaking differing languages and living by different cultural standards. It seems they are all on the move right now. Whether because of wars, famine, civil unrest, governmental instability, or hope for a better future, more than ever, people are moving from the known to the unknown to find safety, security, prosperity, and even love.

Unfortunately, most of those goals remain out of reach due to bureaucratic paperwork, language barriers, closed borders, human and sex traffickers, welfare systems that keep them in poverty, and people who refuse to show them how to navigate in their land of exile. In the midst of this hopeless situation, God brings his people to be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus to those who have only known antagonism and pain.

Temporary lodgings.

In a day when it is harder than ever for Western missionaries to gain permanent residency in foreign countries, we now have options to reach a specific people group for Christ. When doors close to their country of origin, we can now find other areas of the world where pockets of those people live. Sometimes it’s in our home country, but it also might be in a nation providing a better avenue for us to live as expats. Wherever they are, we can now find them and minister to them, first at their point of need (which usually involves helping them settle in their new home) and second, at their deepest need. What is that deepest need? To find home in Christ.

Building bridges on the topic of exile, hopelessness, and struggles of this life are all easy ways to move a conversation toward the permanent home Christ offers. As an immigrant or refugee comes to Christ, they find the new reality that only Jesus provides—they can be at peace wherever they live in this world because it’s only temporary lodgings. Their permanent home is being built just for them by the Master Builder.

A place of rest.

One of the biggest trials of displacement and immigration is the feeling of unrest. Even without the worries of trafficking, exploitation, and theft, the majority of immigrants will say they never feel completely at rest. They are thinking of home, of loved ones left behind, of the state of their home country if it’s in conflict or war, and of the economic needs of family still there. As much as they try to settle in their new country, their minds are always split between the two. There is a divided loyalty or even not a divided loyalty but loyalty only to their home country, while they simply live in another place.

All of these mixed emotions and immigrational baggage lead to a lack of peace and settledness. They are not resting. This is where Christ speaks into their longings.

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 CSB)

And

“Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. You know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

For the refugee, the migrant, the immigrant, and the traveler, Jesus calls them to a place of rest. He longs to lift burdens too heavy for them to carry. When road-weary travelers encounter Christ and the rest he provides, they will be the first to share this good news with those within the borders of their native lands. God is shaking the nations to reach the nations out of his love for the nations.

Grace and Peace

If you missed the last Mission Monday post, click HERE. Or, check out these posts on home: In Christ Alone, VR Meets the Gospel, and Citizenship.

*Statistics provided by Statista from 2022, in the article, “The World’s Biggest Diasporas.” https://www.statista.com/chart/4237/the-countries-with-the-most-people-living-overseas/