Pace e Bene Blog

Refujesus: asylum seekers, xenophobia, Australia and Jesus

November 12th, 2009 - by Jarrod McKenna

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matt. 25:40)

'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' (Matt. 25:40)

Refujesus (n. That provokes v.): the reality that biblically how we respond to every refugee reveals how we respond to Jesus himself.

Here are links to two articles I’ve recently written for Jim Wallis’ blog “God’s Politics” about ‘Refujesus’.

The Plank in Australia’s Eye

“A couple of years back while working with Aboriginal activist Uncle Kevin Buzzcott, he said to me, “When are you white fellas going to realize that you are all ‘boatpeople’!?! If you are not going to let them [refugees] in, us black fellas should send you all home!” Maybe deep in the white Australian psyche is the fear that just as the European colonisers stole the land from the indigenous peoples, so we might have the land stolen from us.”

Thanking the Refugee (The Plank in Australia’s Eye, Part 2)

“One of my favourite images of our church community is a photo I took outside Baxter Detention Centre while surrounded by riot cops. As the powers that be defended the ‘night-side’ Australia seeks to hide, there the church was found crying out in worship at these gates of hell, to the God who’s about bringing heaven to earth.”

"there the church was found crying out in worship at these gates of hell, to the God who’s on about bringing heaven to earth."

Jarrod McKenna

Picture of user Jarrod McKenna

Perth, WA

Australia