Why The Report Of Muslim Refugee Conversions In Germany Breaks My Heart

(Credit: Josh Zakary, Flickr Creative Commons)

I know this probably makes me a terrible Christian, but the report of Muslim refugees in Germany converting to Christianity really breaks my heart.

Again, I know that probably sounds bizarre, but let me explain.

Now, of course if they’re really “coming to Jesus” because they sincerely fell in love with the gospel or something along those lines, then that’s wonderful and I say, “Thanks be to God.”

But the way this story is being reported in the Christian press continually glosses over a really, really important factor that’s being treated like nothing more than a throwaway line: “Becoming a Christian also helps migrants’ and refugees’ chances of staying in Germany…”

Given the incredibly desperate situation, it’s really hard not to think the conversions are happening simply because refugees think the Church and Christians in general are more likely to help them if they’re not Muslim.

Which is just awful.

They’ve already given up everything they have, and now it seems they believe they have to give up the very last thing they have – their identity – just to survive another day.

I really, really hope that’s not the case, but it’s a very legitimate possibility that’s hard to ignore.

Especially since countries like Slovakia have made it clear they will only accept Christian refugees.

If it is true, if Muslim refugees are feeling compelled to convert just to survive, it breaks my heart.

Not least of all because convert or die is the same situation countless Christians face in ISIS-controlled areas of Syria and Iraq.

And not because I don’t want to see people “come to Jesus.”

It breaks my heart because if that indeed is the situation, then we as the Church – whether in word or deed, intentionally or not – have presented to the world the message that we’re more likely and more willing to help other Christians than anyone else, particularly Muslims.

And that is not the way of Jesus.

There should never ever ever be any prerequisite for Christians helping others and there should never ever ever be anything we ever say or do that would make non-Christians ever think we’re less likely to help them in their time of need if they’re not one of us.

If we’re not willing to help our neighbors in need regardless of who they are and without precondition, then we’ve completely abandoned the way of Jesus.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that – Luke 6:32

To be clear, I don’t think churches in Germany have put up signs on their front doors saying “Only Christian Refugees Allowed,” but it seems we’ve obviously done something as a Church – collectively and universally, not just in Germany, but also and especially in America – to present the message to non-Christians that we’re more likely to help those in need if they’re already one of us – or if they’ll let us make them one of us.

Whether intentionally or not, if that is the message the Church has sent to the rest of the world – that we’re more willing to love and serve ourselves than we are to love and serve others, especially if those “others” are Muslim – then God forgive us.

I hope this isn’t the case.

I hope we as a Church were and are willing to help anyone anywhere regardless of their faith.

And I hope non-Christians know that.

I hope as followers of Jesus, we see these refugees simply for who they are – neighbors in need – and not merely as potential converts.

And I hope they know that.

If in extravagantly and unconditionally loving and serving our neighbors in need, they see Christ in us and want to follow him, then that is most certainly something to be praised.

But if our identity as a Church has become so inwardly focused, so self-serving and excluding that those in need on the outside think they first must be an insider before we will extend them love and grace, then we shouldn’t be celebrating their purported conversion on Facebook.

We should be grieving the loss of our own identity as truly Christlike, unconditionally loving people.
 

If you’re looking for ways to help the refugees flooding into Europe, check out this post from Ann Voskamp for a great list of ways you can get involved in the relief effort.