CITIES OF REFUGE

Today's reading: Joshua 16-20

"The Lord said to Joshua, Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge...They must allow the accused to enter the city and live there among them." Joshua 20:1-4 NLT

Cities of refuge are a popular topic these days as immigration, papered and non-papered, is a current event.

These cities offer a place for the immigrating to rest while their cases are investigated, decided upon and settled.

They are not a new idea dreamed up by sitting politicians. As we see in today's portion of Scripture, they go back a very long time!

What I'm wondering this morning is this...

Are our churches 'houses of refuge'?

Are we welcoming the displaced? The accused? The orphaned? The ostracized? The homeless?

Are those in need, physically, emotionally and spiritually, finding rest with us, peace with us and love from us?

Are the people society has deemed less than, downtrodden and unable to be rehabilitated finding out about Jesus when they step foot in the doors of our churches?

Or are we going to let the government handle them? Their parole officers be their family? The world shelter them?

If our churches are no more than social clubs for the elite, well dressed, well adjusted and well mannered, are they really churches at all?

I believe it was Max Lucado who said, Churches are to be hospitals for the sick, the healing and the healed, not just Las Vegas stages for the upright to perform upon.