Below is the third of three reflections on the programs and ministries of Catholic Charities of Louisville.  Staff shared these reflections at a series of prayer services held by Catholic Charities during Lent.

By Alix Davidson

Jesus was a refugee child. His parents fled from Bethlehem in Judea to Egypt after God warned Joseph in a dream that King Herod intended to kill Jesus. They stayed there in Egypt until King Herod died and it was safe for them to return.

Like many of the refugee youth we work with, Jesus was a child in exile. His family was separated from their home, from the support of extended family, and from cultural norms that were familiar. For me, this adds new meaning to the commands throughout the Bible that we are to welcome the stranger. And when Jesus says to us, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” he can honestly say that from experience.

Of course, we know we should do it because Jesus loves and has compassion for refugees and immigrants; but perhaps just as importantly, we should note that God actually became a person and experienced the pain and brokenness of being human. Jesus knows what it feels like to be invisible, to come from struggle, to be starving, and to run away from violence. He too, was a refugee child.  The Gospel of Matthew does not really say, but we can only hope that Jesus’ family was welcomed when they entered Egypt. We can hope that someone welcomed them into their home, showed them where things were, and helped them learn the local customs.

The phrase “welcoming the stranger” has seemed a bit odd to me since I started doing this work. I think most of us who work in the Migration and Refugee Department of Catholic Charities of Louisville (MRS) would agree that from the moment we welcome a new family, they do not really seem like strangers anymore. After greeting them and shaking hands, it does not take long to recognize our shared humanity. Even across various cultures and languages, we are all seeking the same things in life. We all want to love and be loved, to have a safe home, a healthy family, and sense of community.

A refugee student shared a poem (see below) with Mayor Fischer at our Thanksgiving lunch a few months ago. When he finished reading it, Mayor Fischer gave the student a big hug and said, “You’re a Louisvillian, man! That’s who you are!”

At MRS, we get to do the exciting work of equipping our clients with the tools and information they need in order to become self-sufficient in their new homes. From setting up their apartments, welcoming them to Louisville, providing various orientations, connecting families with the schools, teaching English, creating access to medical care, and helping them find jobs, we are empowering our clients with a foundation to create a new life here. And once they are comfortable navigating those systems, they can begin to wrestle with the identity question that emerges from the poem below – who am I? Our clients would likely each answer this question in different ways, depending on their life experiences, cultures, and faith traditions. Because of my faith tradition, however, when I meet and welcome members of a new family, I view them all as children of God.

Here is the poem, written by our teenage clients resettled by MRS a couple of years ago. As I have read and reflected on this poem, I cannot help but be reminded that Jesus was also a refugee child, and our response should always be governed by the call of the Gospel: “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

This poem is entitled, “Who am I?”

Come from struggle
Born in darkness
Grew up in a big light of hope
Who am I?

Come from struggle
Running away from violence
I was invisible
Seeing many people climbing the mountains
Crossing the rivers
Their houses are bombed
Children on their own
They don’t arrive with all the family
They have lost their mothers
They have lost their children
Again, I was invisible
Who am I?

Born in darkness
With ugly face, but inner beauty
Everyone leaves me
I looked around myself, I have nothing
I’m starving
I hate my life
UNHCR says it gets better
But when?
It’s not changing anything for me
Every morning I get up, I put on a fake smile
Nobody knows the real me
Who am I?

Grew up in a big light of hope
As you can see me in this light
I wish everyone would listen to me
Please, don’t hide me
Please, don’t let me get lost
Please, listen to me
Please, adopt my pain
Let’s come together
Let’s make new friends
Maybe you can recognize who I am

From Congo
Born in Tanzania
Grew up and open mind in America
Congolese, Tanzanian, and American
Who am I?

I AM A REFUGEE CHILD

Alix Davidson is the Grants Coordinator for the Migration and Refugee Department of Catholic Charities of Louisville.