You Welcomed Me
Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us
by Kent Annan
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Pub Date Nov 27 2018 | Archive Date Feb 17 2019
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Description
"Wait, Dad. Are we for them or against them?"Kent Annan was talking with his eight-year-old son about the immigrant and refugee crises around the world. His son's question, innocent enough in the moment, is writ large across our society today. How we answer it, Annan says, will reveal a lot about what kind of family, community, or country we want to be.In You Welcomed Me, Annan explores how fear and misunderstanding often motivate our responses to people in need, and invites us instead into stories of welcome—stories that lead us to see the current refugee and immigrant crisis in a new light. He lays out simple practices for a way forward: confessing what separates us, listening well, and partnering with, not patronizing, those in need. His stories draw us in, and his practices send us out prepared to cross social and cultural divides.In this wise, practical book, Annan invites us to answer his son's question with confident conviction: "We're for them"—and to explore with him the life-giving implications of that answer.
Advance Praise
"You Welcomed Me invites us into the amazing opportunity to welcome refugees and immigrants. We get to love others because God first loved us. We get to welcome Christ into our lives because 'I was a stranger and you welcomed me.' We get to witness for Jesus when we're known for loving our vulnerable neighbors. This book inspires, addresses concerns, and gives wise, practical advice for you and your church. Fear and politics can distract us, but You Welcomed Me is a compassionate call to make much of love and make much of Jesus in our lives."
-Ed Stetzer, Billy Graham Distinguished Chair at Wheaton College
"Fear is the enemy of love. When fear rather than love is the driving force behind our life choices and public policies, we end up contributing to the suffering of the world rather than alleviating it. Kent's new book You Welcomed Me stands firmly on the biblical promise that perfect love casts out fear. He reminds us that when we welcome the stranger we welcome Christ . . . and when we do not welcome the stranger, we do not welcome Christ. Quite simply, this is an invitation to love like Jesus loves—with arms wide-open—and to be as hospitable to others as God has been to us."
-Shane Claiborne, author and activist, director of Red Letter Christians, founder of The Simple Way, author of Beating Guns
"Kent Annan is a gifted storyteller. You Welcomed Me vividly conveys the stories of refugees and other immigrants throughout the world, challenging preconceptions and inviting readers to consider how the lives of displaced people might intersect with our own stories and, ultimately, with God's story. A compelling, inspiring look at one of the most pressing issues of our day."
-Matthew Soerens, US Director of Church Mobilization, World Relief, and National Coordinator, Evangelical Immigration Table, coauthor of Welcoming the Stranger and Seeking Refuge
"You Welcomed Me is a must-read challenge to greater involvement and action on behalf of refugees coming to our country. Kent Annan surrounds us with stories, information, and highly accessible action plans, but this book stands alone. Unlike any other book on the subject, Kent provokes us to look inward—to examine our own hearts, our self-interests, our fears, and our understanding of God's love and mercy. You Welcomed Me invites the reader to greater involvement, but it first looks to transform our hearts."
-Paul Borthwick, senior consultant, Development Associates International, author of Great Commission, Great Compassion
"The issue of refugees and immigrants has become so politicized in our culture with narratives of fear and protectionism often drowning out the facts and the sheer humanity of their plight. Amazingly, we might even miss the key truth behind the question, what would Jesus do? That's why this thoughtful book by Kent Annan is so necessary now, to share stories and insights through the lens of Scripture. Read it as a tool to engage—because as Christ-followers we must engage in the most urgent humanitarian crisis of our lifetime."
-Rich Stearns, World Vision US President, author of The Hole in Our Gospel
"Annan cuts through the complexities around refugees, immigrants, and politics to create a compelling call for God's people to welcome refugees in meaningful ways. You Welcomed Me is an essential tool for those who want to get beyond the headlines and do something. With tangible, practical steps, Annan takes insights about bias, power, and 'othering' and creates steps to cultivate prophetic hospitality to the stranger."
-Nikki Toyama-Szeto, executive director of Evangelicals for Social Action/The Sider Center
"Kent Annan is a masterful writer and thoughtful, compassionate humanitarian who knows how to love in word and deed. His life service matches his lip service and the words on the pages of this book. These words are clothed in the love of God that welcomes the stranger, refugee, and immigrant, in not only theoretical ways but through meaningful, practical suggestions. This book is 'for such a time as this,' a prophetic literary witness of the Gospel for today. If you want to be more like Jesus, if you want to know the welcoming presence of God for the least, the lost, and the left out, read this book because in its pages breathes the hospitality of God for all people. In it, the reader will be challenged not only to be for Jesus but to be for what Jesus was for."
-Luke Powery, dean of Duke University Chapel, associate professor of homiletics at Duke Divinity School
"You Welcomed Me is an urgent book that is inspiring, practical, and deeply rooted in spiritual practice. We're beloved by God and so we're welcomed and we're freed to welcome the stranger, the refugee, and the immigrant. Justice issues are also issues of our spirit, and God's generous presence transforms how we see others. In You Welcomed Me, Annan invites the reader into the freedom and responsibility of a deeper relationship with Jesus and with our neighbors. This is an essential invitation into a divine, loving way of life."
-Richard Rohr, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9780830845538 |
| PRICE | $16.99 (USD) |
Links
Featured Reviews
Christina T, Reviewer
Having just finished the book, and on the verge of tears (though, if I am honest that was where I found myself throughout the book), I find myself reviewing this book.
Read this book if:
-You want to know more about how we should respond to immigrants and refugees as Christ followers.
-You want to understand how you can be a part of loving your neighbors better, especially those that are different from you.
-You are a person.
For real, Annan touches on something of a trigger topic in the United States right now. He presents biblical truth and aligns it with statistics that face some of the lies that we might sometimes fear about what allowing differences into our lives and nation. He also gives grace and mercy for those that struggle with living out the truth of God's call for us as believers in the face of the "truths" we believe laid out by our nationalism.
This book is a fairly quick read, page number wise, but don't let the moments pass you by as you consider the stories and equipping that Annan provides at the end of each chapter.
Well done.
I received an electronic copy of this book before publishing in exchange for my unbiased review. BUT don't let that make you believe for a second that I am not purchasing a physical copy of this book when it comes out to share with my community.
Leslie S, Librarian
You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us is a book you'll want to read slowly and thoughtfully. I actually finished it last week but needed to mull over the book before writing a review. Kent Annan has written several prior books and is no stranger to this topic as he has worked with refugees in numerous countries and leads the M.A. at Wheaton College's Humanitarian Disaster Institute.
Annan does a wonderful job of wedding stories from his personal experiences with statistics and Biblical teaching. A primary focus is Biblical teaching. Annan's prime emphasis is Christ welcomes us,(in fact he did while we were still sinners,) and as Christ-followers we need to be welcoming to others who are made in the image of God as well. His stories place you in the middle of a scenario and make you think "what if?" What if your home was destroyed and you needed to start over in a completely different country? What if your community or country was not a safe place to raise your family? Questions such as these and many others help you to imagine yourself in these situations. Beyond these questions, Annan tells the stories of specific refugees and immigrants as well as individuals who are assisting them. Numerous illustrations show how individuals in impoverished countries are sharing what little they have with refugees. Another memorable illustration told of a community who was going to accept refugees but was impacted by a devasting fire. The fire and damage helped the community residents to better identify with the refugees who had lost everything and they proceeded to welcome the refugees. These illustrations of generosity in the midst of despair are quite convicting.
Annan notes that when churches and communities welcome refugees, we are often the ones who are the most changed by the experience. Annan backs up these stories with a variety of statistics regarding the number of refugees and immigrants and points out that the U.S. receives a small percentage of the world's refugee population. Keep in mind that Annan does not advocate a completely open border. He indicates that we do need a vetting system even while we more generously welcome refugees. Annan also points out that countries near disasters and war zones accept many more refugees than the U.S.A. ever could but that we could do so much more than the current 0.2% of the world's refugees. Annan also does a marvelous job of debunking a variety of myths which surround refugee and immigrant populations such as they take American jobs or being a security risk.
You Welcomed Me: Loving Refugees and Immigrants Because God First Loved Us is highly recommended. The book is highly engaging and accessible as it focuses on stories backed up with statistics rather than being an academic tome. Annan also provides specific practice challenges at the end of each chapter. These challenges take the reader beyond the book to actually engage with others, to share their stories, and to welcome them. Some individuals may find these challenges difficult to do not because they are hard but because they live in locations where the challenges are difficult to accomplish. For example, readers in rural areas may find it difficult to locate someone who is new to our country or locating a church or nonprofit that is working with refugees. Each challenge exists to help readers experience opportunities to welcome others and to break down barriers.
I was most excited to discover a FREE six-session video course has been created to accompany this book. I have not worked through this curriculum, but I believe it will provide the basis for much needed discussion about this topic. A FREE 13 page Family Toolkit is also available to help families discuss this topic. Both of these resources will help to make this already rich resource accessible to an even wider audience.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book You Welcomed Me free from InterVarsity Press via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Kristy Q, Media/Journalist
I asked one of my reviewers to cover this book, here is her review: When author Kent Annan talked with his son about immigrants and refugees, the 8-year-old asked, “Are we for them or against them?” Annan’s response to his question—for them—is the theme of this balanced, biblical call to follow Jesus’ command to offer hospitality and to welcome the stranger among us.
Annan explores how this call is based on an understanding that refugees and immigrants are “fellow children of God, whom we recognize as ourselves and who are in need.”
Refreshingly candid, Annan reflects on the reasons—“fears, complexities, and barriers”—that hinder people from welcoming newcomers. As Christians, he asserts, “love is the lens we see through, then wisdom guides us through the risks.”
You Welcomed Me is written from the perspective of an American citizen who longs to see his country “welcome more generously.” As he relates the powerful, painful stories of refugees who have settled in the United States, Canada, and other countries, he shares “a vision for how life is deeper, better, and more faithful together.”
Each of this short book’s stimulating chapters ends with spiritually probing questions for reflection as well as suggestions for how readers can put what they learned into practice. (IVP)
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