Prickly subject, in our today's climate, I know. But this post is first about an ancient experience of foreignness.
In preparation for my classis exams (a step toward ordination in my denomination), I recently read the 'introduction'* to Karen Jobes' commentary on 1 Peter (BECNT series). It got me thinking about our posture and compassionate response (or lack of it) towards asylum seekers in our time--be they Christians, or not.
Jobes has a novel take on the significance of the term 'foreigners' in 1 Peter 1:1 (and that metaphor elsewhere in Peter's letter).
In summary, Jobes challenges the long-established consensus that Peter uses the terms foreigner, alien, etc. purely metaphorically. Yes, of course, Peter's making use of it as metaphor and so connects his readers with Abraham's/Israel's experience and heritage. But Jobes makes the case that the original recipients were literally foreigners in their own setting--not merely spiritually-metaphorically. That's what makes it such a fitting metaphor.
Specifically, she identifies the recipients as (the Christians among) those sent out from Rome under the reign of Claudius to colonise the regions Peter names in 1:1. These people, she argues, were (likely) "Jews" (including Christians and Gentile converts to Judaism and Christianity), who were deemed a little too troublesome for life in Rome, and so were deemed good candidates for relocation.
Consequently, alienation was their experience twice over: First, because they're unwelcome in Rome (on religious grounds, especially). But second, not only are they not-native to the regions they're colonising, but on top of that, they likely received some measure of preferential treatment from Rome--something that likely resulted in some resentment amongst their new neighbours.
It's that "twice-alientated" angle that made me think of the plight of refugees and asylum seekers in our present context.
I'll contain myself to one reflection: we Christians should be especially attuned to the plight of those alienated from the world around them (us), especially those twice-alienated: unwelcome at 'home', and deemed unwelcome (by some) as they approach new shores.
*An 'introduction' in a biblical commentary is an important section that can run to more than a hundred pages, and talks about stuff like who wrote the book (of the Bible) in question, it's intended audience, when/where, etc.
