Show your heart.

Refugees
by Brian Bilston

They have no need of our help
So do not tell me
These haggard faces could belong to you or me
Should life have dealt a different hand
We need to see them for who they really are
Chancers and scroungers
Layabouts and loungers
With bombs up their sleeves
Cut-throats and thieves
They are not
Welcome here
We should make them
Go back to where they came from
They cannot
Share our food
Share our homes
Share our countries
Instead let us
Build a wall to keep them out
It is not okay to say
These are people just like us
A place should only belong to those who are born there
Do not be so stupid to think that
The world can be looked at another way
(deep breath, now we will read from bottom to top)

You might know this reverse poem by Brian Bilston, the unofficial ‘poet laureate of Twitter’. It’s a difficult read until you get to the end and turn it around. Its brilliance lies in that reversal, that we end up hearing the arguments and fears around refugees and immigration from both sides of the spectrum. And not only that, through this poem we are put in the awkward position of being both the Edomites and Cananites, Amorites and Bashanites who all refuse the Israelites entry, AND we are the ragtag bunch of former-slaves-now-free people trotting along the wild paths of the desert, wondering where we might find a home, a place to stay where we won’t be turfed out or subjugated to enslavement.

We identify with the latter, we repeat our ‘we were once slaves and then migrants/refugees’ in our weekly prayers and at festivals, especially the seder while we eat bitter herbs dipped in the salty tears of memory. Many of us here are children and grandchildren of refugees or migrants, some of us are migrants and maybe even refugees ourselves.

But as uncomfortable as this might make us, we are no longer the ones seeking refuge or safety. Today, living in Britain, we are mostly the people warily eyeing the border of our country, and being told that an ‘invasion’ might happen. It would be easy to list the Jewish community’s credentials or our track record as a community who generally tries to help refugees. Or we could read through the plentiful list of Jewish sayings and ethics that exhorts us to care for the stranger in our midst and why we should open our arms and borders to those seeking safety.

But before we get to that and the new coalition called ‘Together with Refugees’ led by religious communities across the spectrum and civil organisations, which was launched this week, I think we have to pause to seriously consider the feelings of the Amorites, Bashanites, Edomites and Cananites that are listed in the text today. What are their reasons for not letting the Israelites through and/or attacking them, even when the Israelites promise to just to move through the country without using its resources, or paying for anything they do need?

We don’t have an answer in the text, but I think we can make an educated guess… for it all comes down to fear. Fear of invasion, a fight over resources, of being taken over - (remember that the Israelites generally won most of their battles or conflicts, and so therefore probably had a fearsome reputation). And that fear still lingers today.

Back in 2015 when the world was shocked by the death of little Aylan Kurdi who drowned trying to reach the safety of Greece, I wrote a sermon about Judaism and refugees, about our ethics, and the work that many UK Jewish communities were doing trying to help unaccompanied children in the Calais ‘tent’ jungle. To my absolute surprise and dismay some people in that particular community I was visiting took umbrage with the idea that this topic should even be mentioned in a Shabbat sermon. For some it was the topic itself, for others they argued that despite living in such relatively wealthy countries, an influx of refugees would be an economic threat to the care of the elderly, as there was not enough money for both.

Not all in the congregation that day were upset by the thought of refugees or acted with fear, but a vocal minority did, and two even chose to leave the community as a result. Ironically, most of the members that day had a refugee or migrant family background themselves, which made it all the more surprising. But, perhaps, at the forefront of their mind all they could focus on was the worry about there being insufficient resources to go around, rather than the human beings who were caught in terrible situations not of their own making. The fear and suspicion in that community also exists here, today, both in our Jewish communities and across the rest of the UK.  So what can we do about it?

First, we have to acknowledge those feelings even if we disagree with them, or disagree with the outcome they are predicting. The expression of that fear has a new name, it's called the “The Illegal Migration Bill and it is currently making its way through Parliament.  It would mean that anyone, including children, who arrive into the UK via an irregular route would never be able to claim asylum here, even if they have had to flee their home country due to persecution or conflict. It also includes extensive powers to detain people, including children, with no time limits”.

The reaction to this Bill has been the creation of “Together With Refugees", which is a new coalition of national and local organisations, refugees living in Britain, and people from all walks of life who believe in showing compassion to people fleeing war, persecution or violence. It is founded on a simple, but powerful, set of shared convictions: How we treat refugees is about who we are. At our best, we are welcoming and kind to those facing difficult times. If any one of us feared for our lives or for our loved ones, we’d want to know that others would help us to safety. You can see more in this video.

Together, we are calling for a better approach to supporting refugees that is more effective, fair and humane. This means standing up for people’s ability to seek safety in the UK no matter how they came here. To ensure that people can live in dignity while they wait for a decision on their asylum application. It means empowering refugees to rebuild their lives and make valuable contributions to our communities. And it means the UK working with other countries to pull our weight when it comes to helping people who are forced to flee their homes.

Rabbi Robyn Ashworth-Steen, who used to tutor our BM students, wrote powerfully: “My very existence is owed to countries who understood their duty to welcome refugees. My religion repeatedly reminds me that it is because we have had to wander that, in turn, our responsibility is to others who are fleeing from harm now. Judaism demands that we fight for justice and it’s clear that the Illegal Migration Bill is far from just or responsible.”

What this new organisation is asking of us is that we show our feelings about migration, for the politicians argue that what they are doing is “the will of the British people”. So if you do feel a sense of responsibility, or think that our reaction should be ‘Hospitality Not Hostility' for people seeking sanctuary in the UK’,  there are many different ways to engage.

If we remain silent, it may be assumed that such a bill reflects the will of a silent majority in this country, but we have the opportunity to say that it does not.

One way is to use the ‘Show your heart’ hashtag on your social media accounts, or talking about it with friends and colleagues.

We have been asked to take a picture of us holding up orange hearts during kiddush (see picture above), the colour representing life belts that are worn in the Mediterranean sea, and send these pictures to our MPs, as they are still considering the Nationality and Borders Bill in Parliament” over the coming months. I hope many of you here will help us take this small but important action, showing that we believe in better treatment for those fleeing persecution. You can read MP Catherine West's response here.

People often say that right now we cannot afford to care for refugees because of one thing or another. Their fears are not wrong, the cost of living crisis we are living through, the pressure on budgets, school places and housing, or even the fear of criminals sneaking in… but the hard truth is that it is never going to be the right time to be able to afford to look after or accept refugees. So perhaps the real question is whether we can afford not to take people in or care for those who need our help?

As people of faith, we strive to welcome the stranger, to offer hospitality, to love, protect, listen, learn, and show compassion. This is who we are.

Simu lev - show your heart