As Canadians, we of all people should understand what it means to be welcomed by the stranger. Apart from the Indigenous Peoples of this land, Turtle Island, we are all “strangers” in Canada. Canada was built on the foundations of settler-colonialism. While that is still very much a living history that we are navigating, ongoing reconciliation and reparation must continue to be a priority in our relationships, learning endeavours, activism and policy work. This is something that the ELCIC remains committed to in its mission.
“I did not have money, or things, but I had time, so I started volunteering with CLWR,” Al-Nidawi said, reflecting on her life before she started working for CLWR. She was a former Iraqui refugee coming from Syria herself.
“It takes a community to welcome a refugee,” Ardon said, citing a quote from Mary Jo Leddy, a prominent Canadian author, Catholic nun, and founder of the Romero House in Toronto, an organization that welcomes refugee claimants with housing, immigration and settlement support.
“Refugees are our ministry—it’s our calling.”
The feature story from the April/May issue of Canada Lutheran, Welcoming the Stranger, is a strong example of living out God’s grace and leading with the heart. Despite the challenges and policy changes that have impacted immigration and refugee sponsorship in Canada, our communities continue to show up for, and lend support to, our newcomer neighbours.
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