What an Afghan refugee taught me about Jesus:

I long for the day people from every tribe, nation, and tongue will worship the Lamb together. And yet, as someone who lives in America with a heart burning for those who have never heard the Gospel before, I have wondered what my role in the Great Commission looks like. But now when I look around Atlanta, the nations are here.

People are migrating all over the world, resulting in huge population shifts. By June of 2023, 110 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, mostly due to persecution, conflict, violence, human right violations, or other events disturbing public order (UNHCR). That includes 36.4 million refugees, the majority being from Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Venezuela, now scattered around the globe. Here in America, the foreign-born share of the U.S. population hit a record high of 14% in 2022 (NPR). Maybe, just maybe, welcoming foreigners in our neighborhoods is just as important as going to the foreign lands. 

If those from around the world are now scattered across the states, what would it look like if we took Jesus’ words literally when He said to “love our neighbor” (Mark 12:30-31)? What if followers of Jesus all over the world welcomed, loved, and showed hospitality to refugees, immigrants, and international students? What if the influx of nations coming to America is a blessing and opportunity, orchestrated by God, to fulfill the Great Commission? 

All because Jesus made a way for ALL of us to be heirs to the Kingdom of God. These days, God has been expanding my vision to see what that might look like tucked away in my little apartment complex in Atlanta:

I finished sipping my chai and with a deep exhale, closed our English notebook. In all honesty, I was exhausted. I’m not a teacher by trade and Google translate doesn’t work here - she never went to school in Afghanistan and thus, can’t read or write Pashto. But still, my heart yearns for the simple excuse to spend time on her carpet, to play charades and inevitably erupt in laughter, and most of all, to let love be the mother tongue of us both.

I started putting on my jacket to walk home when one of her daughters asked what my shirt said: “‘Jesus te ama’, which means, ‘Jesus loves you’ in Spanish.” I paused. “Because Jesus died for everyone and loves everyone, no matter what language they speak.”

“Jesus died even for Muslims?” the little 9-year old earnestly blurted back.

She pulled me into her little bedroom and carefully took a painting off the wall. She pointed to the nail stuck deep in the drywall then pointed at her hands. “Jesus died by the nails in His hands… right? I heard that on YouTube.”

My heart stopped. “Yes, Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and He died just for you.”

Like drinking water for the first time, I had the privilege of sharing the story of the death and resurrection of the Savior of the world with this little girl.

I’m in awe of the funny ways the Lord is truly drawing all people to Himself - through YouTube and t-shirts and wanna-be teachers like me. But like this refugee in a foreign town, to love our neighbors is to love Jesus Himself (Matthew 25:40). The One who is the all-powerful, mighty maker of everything is also the defender of the foreigner, the fatherless, the prisoner, and the widow, all of whom are just as worthy of love and dignity simply because of Whose image they bear. 

I pray that Jesus would give me a heart like His. I pray that even when it’s cold and dark and I’m a little sleepy, that I would slow down long enough to love my neighbors well. I pray for more opportunities to tell them and show them how deeply they are loved by the King who entered the world as a refugee in a foreign land. 

All because He died by the nails in His hands, just for us. I long for the day every tribe, nation, and tongue knows what a Middle Eastern man did for them on the cross some 2,000 years ago.

Until then, we are His hands and feet on earth, proclaiming and demonstrating the truth of the Gospel.

Welcoming the nations plays an increasingly effective role in fulfilling the Great Commission, to see every tribe, tongue, people, and nation delighting in and worshiping the Lord. 

For more ideas on how to cultivate a lifestyle of a Global Christian, check out GFM’s free 5 Habits of a Global Christian Course or connect with us to learn more.

Practicals ideas to begin:

• Pray that God would give you eyes to see the foreigners and the unreached around you.
• Search for ethnic restaurants, religious worship centers, immigrant services, and businesses owned by internationals in your area.
• Learn greetings in a few languages found in your area.
• Invite an international student to participate in your family's holiday celebrations.
• Volunteer with an ESL or citizenship class.