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[[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/de/doku.php/jn_de_2010_09_06|Deutsche Version]] [[Start|| Wiki Start]]
[[topics_collection_ii|| Topics Collection ii ]]
======Migration 1 - Where to go and live? ...======
Monday, September 6, 2010. Migration is a very important topic everywhere in
the world today. We see heavy discussions surging through the public area
in many countries today. Who is going where? Where to go and to live? How
to live in a foreign country or how to live in the country I live in for a
while now already, which still seems to see me as a stranger? How to deal
with strangers living in my environment?
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**The challenges of a different country ...**
Going to another country can be quite a challenge. Often the decision to
go somewhere or to stay somewhere is not completely free. Humans are driven
by wars, by economic problems, by family bonds. It is not a "free" decision
at all to live here or there, usually. We are looking for work. We need to
support a family. We try to search for a good solution for us ... and then
we end up somewhere.
There are so many people living abroad today - that means they live in another
country where they have not been all of their life or where their parents have
migrated to some time ago. Some of them have fully become a part of the
country they live in. They speak the language, they know how things are
done, they find their way, follow their profession and enjoy the community.
What would Britain be without all the Indian restaurants, without the many
French people living here, the Germans, the Polish people, the Africans, the
Chinese. Britain always has had a Commonwealth, an international
community which integrated many different people from various countries.
But there are many countries in the world, which have problems dealing
with the migration issue, among them highly developed countries as well as
developing ones. The Netherlands had new political groups rising, who
opposed particular migrant groups. In Germany, currently a strong public
debate is going on, with very strong opinions on all sides, in particular
targeting those Muslim immigrants who stay outside of the German society.
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**Migration is a biblical topic! ...**
Migration is a topic which is highly biblical. The Old Testament is full of
migration stories. It starts with Abraham, who moved from the area of today's
Iraq to Palestine. Josef went to Egypt and lived there most
parts of his life. The Jewish people migrated to Egypt and back into the
area where Israel is located today. Jesus' parents had to go to Egypt as well
and lived there for quite a while.
The bible deals with migration from all sides. When Abraham starts his
journey, it is God himself, who is guiding his friend and follower into a new
life. Migration seems to be an issue of faith here. The same happens to the
people following Jesus. "Follow me" he tells them. And they leave their
house and ground.
God also talks about the topic of strangers among the Jewish people.
Strangers should be treated with care and consideration (Exodus 23). God points
to the experiences of the Jews of being a stranger themselves. Migration
has been a fact throughout history and it is a fact today. So we need to
find balanced and sustainable ways to deal with it in our environment and in
our country. Here, the bible can be a fantastic guide.
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