Asylum seekers: all welcome

Over successive governments, Australia has had an issue with asylum seekers arriving on its shores. The population is split between a fear of the unhindered arrival of multitudes of uninvited strangers (or even terrorists), and a compassion for people less fortunate than ourselves who are fleeing war zones and persecution. Politicians seek to both portray themselves as being concerned for Australia’s security (and in control of immigration numbers), and satisfying humanitarian treaty obligations.

God’s kingdom is an entirely different matter, and just as well for us. He has said plainly that there’s plenty of room for all, and in a humanitarian treaty to end all treaties he offers asylum to anyone who will come, no matter whether you have supporting identity documents, money, skills, a war-torn background, or even a criminal record. Matter of fact he’d prefer it if you didn’t plead your case, but just came as you are.

This is what the bible says: “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him” — John 3:16 (The Message version)