Do you recall the history of ancient Israel? Jacob the patriarch was in hunger, and he heard there was food in the land of Egypt. So, Jacob gathered his family, numbering of about 70, and moved them to that nation. Initially, Jacob was warmly welcomed and fed. But then arose a new pharaoh, one who knew nothing about Jacob and who was jealous over the growing number of his descendants. The new pharaoh enslaved the Israelites, forcing them to abandon their male infants to die. Moses was then commissioned by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery, out of Egypt, and back to their homeland.
Care for refugees today continues to be a problem of truly Biblical proportions, testing the allegiances and values of most nations. In this present context, I find especially enlightening to also recall the biblical admonition, recorded in Leviticus 19:33-34, concerning the care of refugees: “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.”