COMMENTARY
A year and a half have passed since the sudden, violent fall of Kabul. The images of men, women, and children evacuated to the United States in a desperate bid to save themselves from the hands of the ascendant Taliban flashed across our TVs, newspapers, and computers. Now, they may seem to some like a distant memory.
For those Afghans who managed to get on flights out of Afghanistan and eventually to the U.S., time is running out. Thousands of Afghans currently in the U.S. were given just two years to stay in this country through the legal vehicles of humanitarian parole. before they’re forced out due to our backlogged, outdated immigration system.
Communities all over America have worked tirelessly since the fall of Kabul to welcome these refugees home, but their most important needs linger: Afghan refugees still need a permanent pathway to citizenship. They still have no idea whether or how they will be able to secure lasting safety and security.
What’s more, they still urgently need Christian ministry as they build their new lives and homes.
The church is an essential part of building their future and has been an essential part of building their present. Countless Christians have given their time and talent to aid Afghan men and women because of their conviction that God has called them to be the hands and feet of Christ. He called them, and they answered with astounding generosity.
At Bethany Christian Services, we partnered with many churches across our nation to help them envelop, embrace and support refugees by creating protocols that empowered them to serve.
This community-level participation must also be paired with federal efforts through legislation like the bipartisan Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide Afghan refugees a pathway to permanent residency in the U.S. At Bethany, we’ve been advocating for their needs with the Refugee Council USA and the White House, and while we’ve made strides in our efforts, much has changed since the beginning of this crisis. We’ve listened to our Afghan neighbors to fortify our knowledge in asking for resources because their needs were, and are, much greater than anyone anticipated. We’re continually learning how to shift our services–we do not provide to them; we provide with them.
At the end of the day, these people need both legal protection and community, together. The government can only go so far—it’s the church that is called to be the hands and feet of Christ for the orphaned, the vulnerable, and the widow.
As Christians, we must stand in the gap for the most vulnerable among us. It’s the church’s role to come alongside the voiceless, the resourceless, and the homeless without judgment and without agenda. We must ask ourselves, “How do we care for people who do not see a future in front of them?”
We know we can answer this call because we’ve done it already for so many. Whether for a child facing the unimaginable trauma of losing his parents in war or a young mother who has fled her home with just a backpack because of persecution, within the four walls of the church are hearts and hands open to loving these neighbors as themselves. Churches have borne witness to God’s love over and over again, providing critical settlement and community services.
Every person deserves love, dignity, and respect, regardless of their background or origin. Bethany’s partner churches have already ministered to the needs of thousands of men, women, and children rendered vulnerable by the fall of Kabul.
These churches haven’t forgotten their calling. They haven’t forgotten the needs of Afghan refugees, and they will be foundational to any efforts at building their future. We are called to walk by faith, to be witnesses of Christ’s love. What better way to do that than to help, and advocate for, our brothers and sisters who do not have the same resources we have?
As we approach a new year—and near the end of the Afghan refugees’ parole period—we face a unique moment, both a referendum and an opportunity. Now is a time to reflect on our success and rally for the work to come. The church must continue to serve as it has, with unflagging charity and wisdom. Together, we must—and we can—lift and serve the most vulnerable.
Tawnya Brown serves as Senior Vice President of Global, Refugee, and Immigrant Services at Bethany Christian Services.
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN