‘Immigration’ is something that most governments are now talking about. Sometimes it is forced immigration, when people have to flee a war zone or have threats to their lives and must leave their homes. At other times people immigrate for financial reasons to have an opportunity for a better life in another country.

In the United Kingdom we have refugees who live in our communities from Ukraine as well as those who have come because of ties their country has with Britain and are here to make a better life. In Scotland we would have had no population growth in the last census if it hadn’t been for immigration! We have many living in our communities from Poland and various African countries. Many have started new congregations of the Lord’s people as well as helped existing groups of Christians.

In the first century there was also forced immigration which required Christians to move.

“After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.” (Acts 18:1-3 NIV)

When Christians find themselves having to leave their homes in order to live in a new country, what do they do? First and foremost we must remember who we are: we are God’s children and it really doesn’t matter where we live. We can still serve God and tell others the good news of Jesus because our real citizenship isn’t in any country. “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21). 

Aquila and Priscilla ended up as Jewish refugees from Rome. They met Paul in Corinth and became associated with him. After travelling with Paul to Ephesus, they remained there while Paul went to other areas. Because they were Jews they joined other Jews on the Sabbath in the synagogue. Most Christians of a Jewish background in the first century seemed to do this because they were Jews and this gave them an opportunity to talk about Jesus.

“Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervour and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.” (Acts 18:24-26)

Just because they were new to the area did not silence them in teaching others. Finding someone who also knew about Jesus must have been thrilling! They would have been naturally drawn together. But there was something missing in Apollos understanding. They used the opportunity to teach Apollos more about Jesus, to fill in the gaps that he didn’t know.

So what do we do when we find ourselves in another country or another area? Do we forget who we are as Christians? Or do we continue to do look for opportunities to speak a good word for Jesus? When we hear someone talking about Jesus do we seek them out and if needed take time to explain to them the way of God more adequately?

As an American living in Scotland I have opportunities to tell others why I live here, why I’m an ‘immigrant’. We all have opportunities to talk to others. Are we taking advantage of openings that are presented to us?

Photo by aumglobal2 from pixabay.com. Free for use.

Readings for next week: Acts 18-23