The Biblical Foundation for Welcoming Refugees
Few global issues are more urgent, complex, or politically divisive than the refugee crisis. Currently, more than 100 million people worldwide have been forcibly displaced from their homes—the highest number ever recorded. Behind these staggering statistics are millions of individual stories of families fleeing violence, children separated from everything familiar, and people desperate for safety, shelter, and hope.
For Christian families, the refugee crisis presents both challenge and opportunity—the challenge of helping children understand complex geopolitical realities with compassion, and the opportunity to model biblical hospitality and demonstrate Christ's love to the vulnerable. How we talk about refugees with our children shapes not only their understanding of current events but their fundamental approach to people different from themselves, their political perspectives, and their practical expression of faith.
Scripture provides clear, consistent teaching about how God's people should treat foreigners, refugees, and displaced persons. Throughout both Old and New Testaments, God repeatedly commands His people to welcome the stranger, care for the foreigner, and show compassion to the displaced. This isn't a peripheral biblical theme—it's central to God's character and His expectations for those who follow Him.
In Leviticus 19:33-34, God commands: "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God." This command to love foreigners as ourselves stands alongside the command to love our neighbors as ourselves—both are fundamental expressions of love that reflect God's character.
The motivation God gives is critical: "for you were foreigners in Egypt." The Israelites' own experience as displaced persons should have created empathy for others experiencing displacement. Similarly, Christians can recognize that spiritually, we were once foreigners to God's kingdom, but Christ welcomed us in. Our own experience of welcome should shape how we welcome others.
Understanding the Refugee Crisis: Basic Information for Families
What Makes Someone a Refugee?
Before discussing the refugee crisis with children, ensure you understand key definitions yourself. The term "refugee" has a specific legal meaning distinct from other categories of displaced people:
Refugees: People who have fled their countries because of persecution, war, or violence and cannot safely return home. They have a well-founded fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.
Asylum Seekers: People who have fled their countries and are seeking refugee status in another country. Their claims are being evaluated to determine if they qualify for legal refugee protection.
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): People forced to flee their homes but who remain within their country's borders. While they may face similar circumstances to refugees, they haven't crossed international borders.
Migrants: People who move from one place to another primarily for economic opportunity or family reunification rather than fleeing persecution or violence. While their situations may be difficult, they differ legally from refugees.
These distinctions matter because refugees have specific legal protections under international law that other displaced persons may not have. Understanding these categories helps children grasp the refugee crisis's complexity.
Major Causes of Refugee Displacement
Help children understand that people become refugees due to circumstances beyond their control, not by choice. Major causes include:
War and Armed Conflict: The largest driver of refugee displacement. When war makes communities unsafe, families flee to protect their lives. Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Ukraine have all produced massive refugee populations due to prolonged conflicts.
Persecution: People flee when governments or other groups target them based on ethnicity, religion, political views, or other characteristics. The Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar or Christians fleeing parts of the Middle East exemplify persecution-driven refugee populations.
Natural Disasters and Climate Change: While not typically qualifying someone for legal refugee status, natural disasters and climate change increasingly force people from their homes. Rising sea levels threaten island nations, droughts create food insecurity, and severe weather events destroy communities.
Extreme Poverty and Lack of Opportunities: While economic migrants differ legally from refugees, extreme poverty—often resulting from corruption, exploitation, or failed governance—can create desperate situations driving people to seek better lives elsewhere.
Age-Appropriate Ways to Discuss Refugees
Elementary Age Children (Ages 5-10)
Young children need simple, concrete explanations that build empathy without creating fear or anxiety.
Use Simple Language and Relatable Scenarios: "Refugees are people, including many children like you, who had to leave their homes because it wasn't safe anymore. Imagine if we had to suddenly leave our house and couldn't take most of our things with us. That's what happens to refugee families."
Emphasize Shared Humanity: "Refugee children love the same things you love—playing with friends, spending time with family, having favorite foods. But war or danger in their countries made it unsafe to stay home, so their families had to find new, safer places to live."
Provide Concrete, Positive Actions: Elementary children need tangible ways to help. They might donate toys to refugee children, create welcome cards for newly arrived refugee families, learn words in languages refugees in your area speak, or help pack hygiene kits for refugee organizations.
Use Stories and Books: Age-appropriate books like "Four Feet, Two Sandals," "The Journey," or "My Name is Sangoel" introduce refugee experiences through storytelling that builds empathy without overwhelming young children with difficult realities.
Answer Questions Simply and Honestly: When children ask why refugees can't just go home, explain: "Their homes might be destroyed by war, or it might still be dangerous there. They want to go home, but they have to wait until it's safe." Honest but simple answers satisfy curiosity without creating unnecessary fear.
Preteen Children (Ages 11-13)
Preteens can understand more complexity, including some systemic factors contributing to refugee crises and the political debates surrounding refugee policies.
Explain the Refugee Process: Preteens can understand the lengthy, complex process refugees undergo: "When people become refugees, they often first flee to neighboring countries, living in refugee camps while international organizations determine where they can be resettled. This process can take years. Refugees undergo extensive background checks and interviews before being approved for resettlement in countries like the United States."
Discuss Different Perspectives: Acknowledge that people disagree about refugee policies while maintaining biblical priorities: "Some people worry that accepting refugees might bring security risks or economic strain. Others emphasize our moral obligation to help people fleeing danger. As Christians, we're called to welcome strangers and care for the vulnerable, while also being wise about how we do this. We can hold both compassion and appropriate caution together."
Address Stereotypes and Fears: Preteens may absorb negative stereotypes about refugees from media or peers. Counter these with facts: "Some people wrongly stereotype all refugees as terrorists or criminals. Actually, refugees undergo more thorough security screening than almost any other group entering countries. Most refugees are families with children, fleeing the same violence and terrorism we fear."
Highlight Refugee Contributions: Share stories of refugees who've enriched their host countries through business creation, cultural contributions, or community service. This counters deficit narratives that only view refugees as burdens.
Connect to Biblical Stories: Help preteens recognize that biblical heroes were often refugees: "Moses fled Egypt as a refugee. David fled King Saul. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus fled to Egypt as refugees escaping Herod's violence. The early church scattered as refugees during persecution. God's people throughout history have experienced displacement, which should create compassion for today's refugees."
Teenagers (Ages 14-18)
Teenagers can engage with the refugee crisis's full complexity, including political debates, ethical dilemmas, and personal responses.
Explore Ethical Complexity: Engage teens in discussing difficult questions: "What obligations do wealthy nations have toward refugees? How do we balance national security concerns with compassion? When resources are limited, how do we decide who to help? What's the difference between national border control and biblical hospitality?" These discussions develop critical thinking and ethical reasoning.
Examine Political Rhetoric Critically: Teach teens to analyze political rhetoric about refugees biblically and factually: "When you hear politicians or commentators discussing refugees, ask: Does this align with biblical commands to welcome strangers? Are claims being made factually accurate? Are refugees being treated as human beings made in God's image or as threats to be feared?"
Understand Root Causes: Teens can explore complex factors creating refugee crises: colonialism's legacy, failed states, proxy wars, climate change, religious persecution, ethnic hatred. Understanding these root causes prevents simplistic solutions while revealing that refugee crises often result from systemic injustices requiring systemic responses.
Consider Personal Responses: Challenge teens to consider how their lives might intersect with refugee ministry: Could they volunteer with refugee resettlement organizations? Tutor refugee children? Advocate for just policies? Pursue careers serving displaced populations? Build friendships with refugee classmates? Personal engagement transforms abstract concern into concrete compassion.
Grapple with Difficult Scenarios: Don't shy from difficult questions: "What if helping refugees does increase security risks? What if your community changes culturally due to refugee resettlement? What if resources for helping local poor decrease when refugees arrive?" These scenarios require wrestling with competing values and rarely have simple answers, but engaging them develops mature faith that holds tension.
Biblical Teaching on Hospitality and the Stranger
Old Testament Foundations
The Old Testament contains extensive teaching about treating foreigners with justice and compassion. Help children understand that this wasn't peripheral to Israel's law—it was central:
Repeated Commands: God didn't mention caring for foreigners once or twice—this command appears throughout Levitical law, prophetic literature, and wisdom writings. The repetition signals importance. Key passages include Exodus 22:21, Leviticus 19:33-34, Deuteronomy 10:18-19, and Zechariah 7:9-10.
God's Own Character: Deuteronomy 10:18 reveals that God Himself "defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." Caring for foreigners reflects God's own character—it's not just arbitrary command but participation in divine nature.
Remembering Their Own Story: God repeatedly reminded Israel to care for foreigners because they themselves were once foreigners in Egypt. Exodus 23:9 states: "Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt." Memory of their own vulnerable past should have created empathy for others' present vulnerability.
Consequences for Disobedience: The prophets thundered against Israel for neglecting foreigners, orphans, and widows. Jeremiah 7:5-7 and Ezekiel 22:29 condemn oppression of foreigners as serious sin warranting judgment. This wasn't minor failure—it represented fundamental covenant unfaithfulness.
New Testament Expansion
The New Testament builds on Old Testament foundations, expanding the call to hospitality:
Jesus' Example: Jesus Himself experienced refugee status as an infant when His family fled to Egypt. Throughout His ministry, He identified with the marginalized and declared that serving "the least of these" was equivalent to serving Him (Matthew 25:35-40). Notably, "I was a stranger and you invited me in" appears in Jesus' description of serving Him.
Good Samaritan Parable: Jesus' parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) challenged ethnic boundaries and demonstrated that "neighbor" includes anyone in need, regardless of background. The Samaritan—himself marginalized—showed compassion across ethnic and religious lines, modeling the love Jesus calls His followers to practice.
Spiritual Reality: The New Testament repeatedly describes Christians as "foreigners and exiles" in this world (1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 11:13). Our citizenship is in heaven, making us spiritual refugees awaiting our true home. This identity should create solidarity with physical refugees experiencing literal displacement.
Hospitality as Christian Virtue: Multiple New Testament passages command hospitality. Romans 12:13 instructs believers to "practice hospitality." Hebrews 13:2 reminds us: "Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it." First Peter 4:9 commands: "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."
Practical Ways Families Can Respond
Building Awareness and Understanding
The first step in compassionate response is informed understanding:
Learn Refugee Stories: Read books, watch documentaries, or attend events where refugees share their experiences. Hearing individual stories creates empathy statistics cannot. Resources like "The Honey Bus" by Meredith May, "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba, or documentaries like "Human Flow" provide windows into refugee experiences.
Research Local Refugee Populations: Discover which refugee populations are present in your community. What countries did they flee? What circumstances created their displacement? Understanding your neighbors' contexts builds appropriate compassion and connection.
Follow Reputable News Sources: Stay informed about current refugee crises through reliable sources. Organizations like UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency), World Relief, or Refugee Council USA provide factual information free from political spin.
Direct Service and Relationship
Move beyond awareness to personal engagement:
Partner with Resettlement Organizations: Many communities have refugee resettlement agencies that need volunteers. Families can help newly arrived refugees by providing transportation, teaching English, assisting with job searches, or donating household items. Contact organizations like World Relief, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, or local resettlement agencies.
Build Genuine Friendships: If refugee families live in your area, pursue authentic friendship rather than mere service. Invite refugee families to share meals, celebrate holidays together, include refugee children in playdates, and learn from each other's cultures. Mutuality and respect characterize true friendship.
Tutoring and Education Support: Many refugee children struggle academically due to language barriers and educational gaps. Volunteer to tutor refugee students, help with homework, or provide after-school support. Teens can earn service hours while making meaningful differences in refugee children's educational success.
Employment and Economic Support: Help refugees find employment by providing job leads, writing recommendation letters, offering professional skills training, or supporting refugee-owned businesses. Economic stability is crucial for successful integration.
Advocacy and Systemic Response
Individual compassion should be complemented by advocacy for just policies:
Educate Others: Share accurate information about refugees with friends, family, and community members. Counter misinformation with facts. Help others understand biblical teaching on hospitality and the refugee screening process's thoroughness.
Contact Elected Representatives: Teach older children to contact legislators about refugee policies. Express support for generous refugee admissions, adequate funding for resettlement programs, and protection for asylum seekers. Even preteens can write letters or emails to representatives.
Support Refugee-Serving Organizations: Financially support organizations providing refugee assistance domestically and internationally. Organizations like World Relief, International Rescue Committee, UNHCR, or Preemptive Love Coalition need funding to continue their work.
Church Involvement: Encourage your church to engage refugee ministry through sponsorship programs, facility usage for English classes, employment connections through the congregation, or financial support of refugee-serving ministries.
Prayer and Spiritual Response
Don't neglect the spiritual dimensions of refugee response:
Regular Prayer: Pray as a family for refugees—for safety, provision, healing from trauma, successful integration, and that they would encounter God's love. Pray specifically for refugee crises in the news and for organizations serving refugees.
Adopt a Refugee Family in Prayer: If your community includes refugees, "adopt" a specific family in prayer. Pray for them by name regularly, and if appropriate, let them know you're praying for them.
Spiritual Openness: Many refugees experience tremendous trauma and loss, creating spiritual openness. Pray that Christians engaging refugees would do so with genuine love rather than manipulative evangelism, and that refugees would encounter Christ's love through His people's compassion.
Addressing Concerns and Questions
"What About Safety and Security?"
Valid security concerns deserve honest responses that don't dismiss legitimate questions while maintaining biblical priorities:
"Security is important, and we should be wise. That's why refugee screening processes are extremely thorough—taking 18-24 months on average and involving multiple background checks by different agencies. Refugees are among the most vetted people entering our country. Statistics show refugees commit crimes at lower rates than native-born citizens. While no system is perfect, we can both maintain security measures and welcome refugees. Fear shouldn't override biblical commands to welcome strangers."
"Won't Refugees Take Jobs From Citizens?"
This economic concern requires factual response:
"Economic research shows that refugees generally create jobs rather than take them. They start businesses at higher rates than native-born citizens, they fill jobs in industries struggling to find workers, and they increase economic demand by purchasing goods and services. Rather than viewing economics as zero-sum competition, recognize that refugees contribute economically while also enriching communities culturally. More importantly, biblical hospitality doesn't depend on economic benefit—it's commanded regardless of cost."
"Why Should We Help People From Other Countries When We Have Poor People Here?"
This false choice deserves challenging:
"That's a false choice—we can and should help both refugees and local poor people. Jesus didn't tell us to choose between different groups in need. He commands us to love all neighbors. Often the same people opposed to helping refugees also oppose programs helping local poor people, suggesting the concern isn't really about domestic poor but about avoiding responsibility altogether. Our family can support local poverty relief and welcome refugees. Both reflect Jesus' heart."
"What If Welcoming Refugees Changes Our Culture?"
This concern reveals underlying assumptions worth examining:
"Culture does change when new people arrive—that's always been true throughout history, including when our ancestors immigrated to this country. The question is whether we view this cultural change as threat or enrichment. Different cultures bring new foods, music, languages, perspectives, and skills that can enrich communities. More importantly, our primary identity is Christian, not tied to any particular culture. We should be more concerned about reflecting Christ's character than preserving cultural homogeneity."
Special Considerations for Trauma-Informed Response
Many refugees have experienced profound trauma—violence, loss of loved ones, dangerous journeys, and displacement from everything familiar. When engaging refugees, particularly with children present, maintain trauma-informed awareness:
Respect Privacy: Don't pressure refugees to share traumatic experiences. Let them share when and if they're comfortable. Some experiences are too painful to discuss, especially with casual acquaintances.
Avoid Intrusive Questions: Questions like "Did you see people die?" or "How did you escape?" satisfy curiosity but retraumatize individuals. Focus on present needs and building relationship rather than extracting stories.
Recognize Triggers: Loud noises, crowded spaces, or unexpected situations might trigger trauma responses in refugees. Be understanding and patient if someone seems anxious or withdrawn in certain contexts.
Provide Stability: Refugees often crave stability after extended periods of chaos and uncertainty. Following through on commitments, maintaining consistent contact, and being reliable helps build trust and security.
Professional Support: Recognize that while friendship and practical support help, many refugees need professional mental health support to process trauma. Connect refugee friends with appropriate counseling resources when possible.
Long-Term Formation Through Refugee Engagement
Engaging the refugee crisis as a family creates opportunities for profound spiritual and character formation in your children:
Developing Empathy: Personal connection with refugees builds empathy far beyond what abstract learning can achieve. Children who know refugee peers understand suffering's reality in personal rather than theoretical terms.
Challenging Ethnocentrism: Meaningful cross-cultural relationships challenge assumptions that one's own culture is superior or normative. Children learn to appreciate diverse expressions of humanity and recognize God's image across cultures.
Practicing Hospitality: Welcoming refugees provides concrete practice in biblical hospitality. Children learn to make space for others, share resources, and extend genuine welcome to outsiders—skills transferable to many contexts.
Understanding Global Interconnection: Refugee engagement reveals that world events aren't distant abstractions but affect real people who might become your neighbors. This awareness shapes how children understand international affairs and their role in the global community.
Witnessing Faith Under Fire: Many refugees possess profound faith forged through suffering. Children who know refugee believers often witness faith expressions deeper than they've encountered among comfortable American Christians. This can profoundly impact their own faith development.
Practical Action Steps
This Week:
- • Have an age-appropriate conversation with your children about refugees, starting with what they already know and what questions they have
- • Read a book or watch a documentary about refugee experiences appropriate to your children's ages
- • Begin praying as a family for refugees—both those in crisis situations and those being resettled
- • Research what refugee populations live in your community and what organizations serve them
This Month:
- • Contact a local refugee resettlement organization to learn about volunteer opportunities appropriate for families
- • Study biblical passages about welcoming strangers during family devotions
- • If possible, attend a cultural event hosted by refugee communities in your area
- • Have your children create welcome cards or care packages for newly arriving refugee families
This Year:
- • Establish an ongoing service relationship with a refugee family—providing practical support, building friendship, and learning from each other
- • Financially support refugee-serving organizations domestically or internationally
- • Educate yourselves about current refugee crises through news, books, and reputable organizational reports
- • Consider ways your family might advocate for just refugee policies through contacting representatives or supporting advocacy organizations
- • Evaluate whether your church is engaging refugee ministry and consider how you might encourage greater involvement
The Gospel Imperative
Ultimately, Christian response to refugees isn't optional—it's a Gospel imperative flowing from God's character and our identity as His people. When we welcome refugees, we're not being politically correct or culturally trendy. We're obeying Scripture, reflecting God's heart, and demonstrating the Gospel's power to overcome fear with love.
Teaching our children to respond to refugees with compassion, hospitality, and justice shapes them to be the kind of Christians the world desperately needs—Christians whose faith extends beyond comfortable boundaries, whose love transcends cultural and national lines, and whose actions demonstrate that they truly follow the refugee Savior who had no place to lay His head.
As you help your children understand and engage the refugee crisis, remember Jesus' words: "I was a stranger and you invited me in." In welcoming refugees, we welcome Christ Himself. There may be no more profound way to teach our children the Gospel than by living it out through radical, counter-cultural hospitality to the displaced and vulnerable.