In Jesus the Refugee: Ancient Injustice and Modern Solidarity, Glenn Butner Jr. traces the flight of Joseph and Mary along with baby Jesus into Egypt and highlights how they would have been potentially received if the modern refugee conventions we have were in place. The book was an insightful, convicting, and educational read. Butner’s style is clear and concise, but he also adds in relevant exegetical framework and experiences.
While many of us can empathise with and imagine the chaos and stress of being a new parent, new partner, or other common life situations seen in various Bible stories, many of us may not have come into contact with refugees, much less experienced their added layers of stress. As Butner writes, “I suspect many Christians find themselves in a similar situation: moved to compassion, perhaps briefly exposed to refugees, but generally uneducated about the global refugee system” (p. 3). This book covers the United States and European Union laws concerning refugees and immigration, as well as highlights some of the nuances created by gaps in the laws or by the novel situations that continue to unfold. We learn about some of the challenges in being or becoming a legally recognised refugee. While the UNHCR[1] has documentation and many laws intended to protect the rights of refugees, some of these laws are lacking in nuance, and slight variations in refugee cases can stop them from being as successful. The book highlights that, while many steps have been made to protect refugee rights, there are still large portions of refugees that are not protected, including women, children, or those with minority religious beliefs.
Butner highlights the particular discrepancies facing women and children, as gender is not a deciding factor in conferring refugee status. While this may appear equitable at a first look, upon closer inspection, this makes women and children more vulnerable. One example among many he provides is that of a woman who fled from her home country to avoid child marriage and FGM.[2] As she was crossing an international border for refugees, she was stopped and returned to her home country without any legal aid or protection. Thankfully, an international organisation stepped in, and she avoided being forced into the marriage or the act of FGM. Understanding the complexities of the refugee laws and systems helps women have a voice in continuing to fight and stand for their rights. And as women in the western world who may read this, these stories might ignite our empathy and also open our eyes to continue advocating for those sisters who need a louder voice.
Butner then takes readers on a journey to understand a glimpse of what Jesus’s refugee journey might have been like, as well as the gruelling and unfortunate conditions that many refugees face even today. Refugee camps, asylum centres, and detention centres are where many refugees start their efforts to gain legal representation, but as described throughout the pages of this book, they are often not safe spaces. By imagining the young Jesus and his family in these camps, he stirs up compassion for those who are caught in the midst of suffering now. Through his research, Butner also highlights the spread of misinformation and misconceptions; in chapter five, “Unfounded Fears,” he provides a variety of studies and statistics showing that what the media often portrays as the negative impacts of welcoming refugees are usually inflated and inaccurate. By highlighting these inconsistencies, this work opens doors and pathways of communication for Christians to embrace the neighbour and the “other.”
Through the case studies and hypothetical experiment presented in this book, Christians are forced to confront the challenges and opportunities for advocacy presented to us today. Biblically, this book beautifully presents God’s heart for the wandering, the displaced, and the refugee. From the Old Testament encouragements and law codes to provide for and look after the widow, orphan, and immigrant through to the New Testament’s call to love your neighbour, this book shows how these biblical truths still stand the test of time. He presents biblical content for the Levitical laws of hospitality and ideas like the Hebrew sedaqa or justice, as well as how some of the early church fathers like Thomas Aquinas interpreted these passages for their own days. Now in the twenty-first century, these biblical principles remain, and our duty as Christians is presented once again.
By highlighting the earliest years of Jesus’s life and the challenges he and his family would have faced, Glenn Butner Jr. confronts Christians with the reality of how our own habits, laws, and subconscious judgements might further reinforce the injustices facing refugees. With refugee rights and immigration issues still hotly contested in our world today, this book gives believers an opportunity to be educated and proactive in supporting the rights and safety of those who are most vulnerable. Rather than taking a reactive and passive approach, listening to news articles and sound bites, the reader of this book will gain an introduction to the issues and laws that may prevent or hinder a vulnerable person from having a truly fresh start.
Overall, this book was so insightful in its holistic approach of bridging the chasms between political theory and historical conflicts on the one hand and a biblical and theological approach on the other. In our day and time, it is it crucial to have a depth of understanding of the issues facing many who seek refugees within our home countries, and to continue to be a light within the church and world.
[1] United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
[2] Female genital mutilation.
Related Resources
Is There Any Good News About Injustice? (Book Review: Good News about Injustice: A Witness of Courage in a Hurting World)
Book Review: Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview
Book Review: Beyond Hashtag Activism: Comprehensive Justice in a Complicated Age
Book Review: Parable of the Brown Girl: The Sacred Lives of Girls of Color
Book Review: Defiant: What the Women of Exodus Teach Us About Freedom
Book Review: Hermanas: Deepening Our Identity and Growing Our Influence
Book Review: When Momma Speaks: The Bible and Motherhood from A Womanist Perspective
Book Review: Feminist Theology from the Third World: A Reader
Book Review: Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage