This reflection on the Mt25i Gathering is from Emily, who works with refugees at the Minnesota Council of Churches.
Amber, Emily (author), and Molly at Fells Point in Baltimore, MA.
The theme of this year’s Matthew 25 Initiative conference was, “Contending for Hope: holding our limitations while believing the impossible.” We spent 44 hours together hearing about the work for justice and mercy God is doing through his church all around North America; these are our sisters and brothers engaged in homelessness prevention and care for the unhoused, foster care, work with immigrants and refugees, teachers, work with individuals with disabilities and those experiencing mental illness, and many more.
We heard from church leaders about how we hold in tension the reality of suffering, grief, and pain so evident in our work and communities, with the hope and joy found in the Gospel of Jesus. It was a great time of reflection and renewal that energized me to continue pursuing the work of justice and mercy in my own community, to find where I can use the gifts and passions God has given me to participate in bringing His Kingdom here on Earth as it is in Heaven. As one speaker posed the question, “If the Kingdom of God came to [South Minneapolis], what would it look like?”
There’s a lot of suffering and pain and grief in our world; you don’t have to put in much effort or look very far to find it, just turn on the news or open any social media. Over the last couple of years I have worked as a social worker in refugee services providing intensive case management to newly arrived refugees dealing with a chronic health condition, mental illness and disability. My job has centered on helping our clients learn to navigate the complex systems here in the US, get connected to the care they need, and ultimately adjust to life here. This involves visiting clients in their homes, attending medical appointments with them, and walking alongside them through a variety of challenges.
By definition, refugees are individuals who have been forced to flee their home “a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group” (UNHCR). When our clients arrive to Minnesota through the Refugee Resettlement process, they have likely experienced persecution, war, or violence, and have overcome countless barriers to make it here. As they adjust to life in Minnesota, they continue to encounter barriers to self-sufficiency and stability including language barriers, limited understanding of public transportation, social isolation, lack of affordable housing, the list goes on.
I am constantly amazed by my clients. They exemplify contending for hope and joy while not denying the realities of the suffering and injustice they have experienced. I remember one home visit my client shared his experience fleeing civil war in Liberia, nearly losing his life because of this violence, losing his wife and his home because of it. In the same visit we smiled and laughed at the sweet antics of his two-year-old daughter, and he asked God’s blessing on me as I leave. I remember crying as I drove back to the office following that visit; crying at the injustice that my client has experienced, crying because I know the hardships he and his family are still experiencing here, crying because witnessing his spirit and resilience is absolutely remarkable, and crying out of gratitude that I have the privilege to be allowed to be part of his story.
During the Mt25i Conference, the speakers shared various definitions of and thoughts on the word “hope.” A few that stood out were, “hope is refusing to be silent in the face of injustice,” and “hope contradicts the present.” Even when it feels like there is no way out of a sticky situation, or there is no way that good can come out of a bad situation, hope refuses to believe that and perseveres to pursue justice and flourishing.
But this work is not something we do on our own. One speaker reminded us that the work of justice and mercy can only be done when we are connected to the “God of all hope” [Romans 15:3]. She reminded us that “in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength” [Isaiah 30:15]. When the weight of the world feels burdensome, we must return over and over again to Jesus, who can carry the weight of the world. The work of justice and mercy is always God’s to do, and he invites us to join him in this work.
