We are a people of migration. Our story is one of migrants. God is with us in our movements from place to place. God’s promises are linked to the outcome of migration. If you have forgotten or were not aware that these population movements had something to do with you, I invite you to begin with the story in the Book of Exodus, maybe Genesis and just keep on reading. Remember that we are “Jews first” according to Reinhold Niebuhr. What he meant by this was that our history as Christians begins with our history as Jews. Christianity began as an outgrowth or branch of Judaism. As such the Exodus and all of the movements of Jews during captivity are a part of our history. Then there are the travels of Paul and other missionaries throughout the Middle East and Europe. The settlement of the Americas and the colonization of Africa, India, and Asia. We’ve been busy moving about. We, like all migrants, have gone where the food was plentiful, where there were jobs, where there were opportunities. Often the best, strongest, and brightest people have led the way. They are the quickest to adapt to the new environment and to develop the new skills to needed to survive, even thrive. This is true of those taken as captives during the many exiles as well as those who voluntarily decide to emigrate.
