Murer er ubibelsk! Gjestfrihet er bibelsk! Å avvise din neste er ubibelsk! Å ta i mot den fremmede er bibelsk! Lederen av Biskopsrådet i United Methodist Church, Bruce R. Ough, var krystallklar da han mandag i skarpe ordelag fordømte president Donald Trumps «omfattende angrep på immigranter og flyktninger».
«Vårt lands sjel står på spill», advarer biskop Ough som sterkt anmoder president Trump og hans administrasjon og Kongressen om «å oppheve de skadelige president-ordrene og redde nasjonens sjel. Samtidig oppfordrer han alle medlemmer av United Methodist Church å se Kristi ansikt i flyktningene.
«President Trumps hensynsløse, lite gjennomtenkte president-ordrer…. er kostbare, unødvendige og i meget sterk strid med våre veridier om medfølelse, verdighet og rettferdighet for alle individer, uansett nasjonbalitet, religiøs tilknyting eller jurdisk status», tordner biskopen.
«Det er ikke tilfeldig at Jødedom, Kristendom og Islam framstiller Guds rike som en bankett, et måltidsfellesskap hvor alle er invitert, påpeker biskop Ough. Vi skal ta vennlig imot den fremmede og elske vår neste og stå sammen med de mest sårbare blant oss.
«Flyktninger og innvandrere kommer til oss, ikke bare med sine behov, men de brimnger med seg energi og ressurser, håpefulle og frihetselskende. Disse gavene har alltid bidratt til fornyelse av kirke og samfunn», mener biskop Ough.
Men fremfor alt leder disse fremmede oss til Kristus, understreker han. «Når vi tar i mot en fremmed, tar vi i mot Jesus. Flyktninger, innvandrere, de som lengter etter frihet – det er disse Jesus snakket om da han sa: «Jeg var fremmed og dere tok i mot meg» (Matt: 25:35)
Biskop Bruce R. Ough, som altså er leder i den globale United Methodist Church’s biskopsråd, publiserte sin egen uttalelse på en pressekonferanse i Hennepin United Methodist Church (Minnesota), samme dag som han som han og en rekke andre amerikanske religiøse ledere i en felles uttalelse også kritiserte presidentens ordrer knyttet til flyktning/innvandrerpolitikken.
Her kan du lese hele biskops Oughs uttalelse i original:
Today, I stand with colleagues representing several faith traditions to strongly denounce President Trump’s widespread attack on immigrants and refugees. President Trump’s reckless, ill-conceived executive orders will divide families, impose a religious test for Muslims facing forced migration, penalize communities providing sanctuary and wall off the United States from our neighbors. These actions are expensive, unnecessary and profoundly antithetical to our values of compassion, dignity and justice for all individuals regardless of nationality, religious affiliation or legal status.
The biblical witness is clear and unambiguous. Walls are unbiblical. Hospitality is biblical. Denying one’s neighbor is unbiblical. Welcoming the stranger is biblical. It is not surprising that Judaism, Christianity and Islam teach the reign of God as a banquet to which all peoples are invited. We are to welcome the sojourner, love our neighbor and stand with the most vulnerable among us. These very values from our sacred texts and faith traditions are currently reflected in the mandate of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and must not be usurped by any executive order. Orders, legislation or administrative actions that would have the U.S. State Department disqualify refugees from protection and resettlement based on their nationality or religion are a denial of the very principles this nation was built upon, contradict the legacy of leadership our country has offered the world, and dishonor our shared humanity.
Jesus was explicit in his teachings. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40).
Refugees and immigrants arrive among us, not only with their needs, but also bearing gifts of energy, resourcefulness, love of liberty and hope. These gifts have always contributed to the renewal of our society and the church.
Above all, these strangers bring to us the Christ. When we welcome a stranger we welcome Jesus, and when we welcome Jesus we welcome our creator. Refugees, immigrants, those yearning to be free—these are the ones whom Jesus spoke about when he said, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matthew 25:35).
Repeatedly Jesus tells his disciples:
“For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:25)
The original Greek language is far more poetic, powerful and prophetic. In finer translations of the Greek language, we hear Jesus saying:
“Whoever seeks to build a wall around their soul shall destroy it; whoever tears down the wall (around their soul) shall bring their soul to a living birth.”
The very soul of our country is at stake. When we abandon strangers who are at risk of bigotry, xenophobia and violence we not only destroy their hope, we destroy our own souls. When we fail to assist the refugees fleeing danger, we not only place them in harm’s way, we do harm to our own souls. When we build walls of concrete, or walls of divisive rhetoric, or walls of fear, or walls of immoral immigration policies, we build a wall around our own souls.
Christ calls us to tear down the walls around our souls that we might live fully and abundantly. Thus, I call on the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to rescind the harmful executive orders and save the soul of our country. I call upon the people of The United Methodist Church to see the face of Christ in the refugee. Say “no” to the walling off of our country and our hearts and say “yes” to their hope – our hope – for new life. Let us unite and work together to bring the soul of this country to a living birth!
Bishop Bruce R. Ough
President Council of Bishops The United Methodist Church
January 30, 2017
TRONDHEIM METODISTKIRKE 