In September of 2016, our congregation welcomed a refugee family to their new home in Kirkland. This mother and son arrived in the United States from Iraq, following a rigorous process of security clearances and several years in a refugee camp in Turkey. They are eagerly settling into this community and have been unfailingly gracious and grateful.

If we have helped them, they have taught us more – about the expansive love of a God, whose mercy transcends all national boundaries, breaks down walls, and calls us to, “love the stranger among you, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deut. 1 0:19). In their journey toward safety, we are reminded of Mary and Joseph, who fled persecution with their young son and became refugees in another land, relying on the kindness of others to raise Jesus for the early years of his life.

It has been our joy and privilege to accompany this family into their new life as Americans. As a Christian community, we weep at any suggestion that immigrants and refugees are to be feared. We stand with them and give thanks for the many ways that immigrants and refugees from around the world, from every nation, color and creed, enrich and enliven this country.

We are grateful for our friends and neighbors at the IMAN Center in Kirkland who have worked with us to welcome this family, and we remember the strength that comes from love of one another. Above all, we hold firm to the promise that love casts out fear, and that if we are seeking out God in these days, Jesus has been perfectly clear about the first place we should look: “for I was hungry and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me” (Matt. 25:26).

Katy McCallum Sachse and Michael J. Anderson are pastors at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Kirkland.