2 Kings, chapter 6, records the “opening” of the eyes of Elisha’s servant, so that he could see that the invading army of the Syrians was surrounded by an even greater army of the LORD’S angels. My point of interest is that when the Syrians were temporarily blinded, instead of encouraging the king to punish them, Elisha instructed him to feed them and guide them back to Syria. The Syrians never raided Israel again.
I read an article by a Jewish Nobel laureate, whose view was that Europe would soon be overrun by Muslims, and that, like other great civilizations of the past, that of Europe would have run its course. This pessimistic view disturbed me until the Lord opened to me the possibility that the current, virtual invasion, by refugees from North Africa might not be the end of Europe as we know it, but rather a new opportunity for Christians in the EU to reach out to these refugees with the saving, life-transforming message of Jesus Christ.
Muslim countries are largely closed to the message of Jesus, but could God be bringing them to where they can hear it? If so, this requires a paradigm shift in the thinking of Christians in the EU. What is now seen as a threat might well be an opportunity.
I’m not suggesting that Europe ought to open its borders and allow itself to be overwhelmed by refugees. Nor am I overlooking the fact that among these refugees will be ruthless Jihadists whose goal is to impose their merciless sharia laws and to murder all who resist them.
But Christians — indeed, humanitarians generally — are faced with a moral dilemma, which is to whether to allow thousands to drown in the Mediterranean, or to rescue them, and in so doing, possibly aid and abet those who would overrun Europe. One cannot view on TV the faces of the refugees and see them as different from our own families.
Societies these days are multicultural. What then to do? Maybe raise money to bring to the front line in Europe our most effective evangelists, instruct them, based on the text in 2 Kings, chapter 6, that the way to save Christian Europe is to save those who have left their lands and risked all for a new and better life in the EU. Also impress on them the likelihood that this could well be an unparalleled and historic opportunity.
The first line of defense against the bloodthirsty jihadists among the refugees might well be those who are transformed by Jesus Christ, filled with the Spirit of God, and themselves trained and sent back among their peoples with the Good News that the Son of God wants to save everyone.
At the very least, many refugees would be saved and so integrate more easily; and at the very best, many of them would be witnesses to the fact that Jesus Christ is their Lord.
Maybe some of my readers on Facebook will read this, and the Lord will say to them: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” — and as a result will respond with: “Here I am, LORD — send me!” (Isaiah 6:8) Imagine the joy that would bring to the Court of Heaven!