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The Spanish Evangelical Alliance “calls the evangelical people in our country to consider, before God, what is their responsibility towards those who arrive to our doors.”
“Our society has been moved and shocked after seeing the suffering of thousands of people that are fleeing from war, persecution because of their faith, etc. The situation is overwhelming many governments, and they have difficulties to reach agreements about how the people seeking asylum should be welcomed. Meanwhile, thousands of European citizens are offering their houses, and approaching those arriving to their country…”
These are the first lines of a statement made public by the Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE).
In Spain, several local administrations have created a “network of shelter cities.”
Some think that “this is an opportunity for evangelical Christians to show God’s compassion towards the stranger, the poor and the widow.” This “readiness for sacrifice, the will to follow Jesus in the way of denying oneself, is a central characteristic of faith”, the text reads.
The Evangelical Alliance “calls the evangelical people in our country to consider, before God, what is their responsibility towards those who arrive to our doors.”
But the help offered needs to be “effective”, the AEE emphasises. This means that help should be “canalised through the local public administrations” and in coordination with the churches.
PRACTICAL RECCOMENDATIONS
In the ‘guide’, Christians are called to offer premises, so that they can be used to give real solutions to refugees. The AEE also shares some recommendations.
Before taking a decision:
The role of the local church:
If you are thinking about opening the doors of your home to one or several refugees:
This material was produced by the authorization comitte of the Spanish Evangelical Alliance, formed by several professionals (inlcuding a lawyer, a medical doctor, a social worker and a pscychiatrist).
You can download the full AEE statement and guide here (in Spanish)
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Opinions expressed are those of their respective contributors and do not necessarily represent the views of Evangelical Focus.
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