Day 58 - The Nature of God

The country of Rwanda conjures up particular images, certainly for people of my age. It is 28 years since the violence between the Tutsi and Hutu peoples which ravaged the country and claimed up to 1 million lives. Since then, a period of peace and stability has seen the economy grow and poverty reduce. Tourism is now Rwanda’s leading foreign exchange earner, and since 2018 the “Visit Rwanda” logo has even been seen on Arsenal FC football shirts; a far cry from the genocide of 1994, and, hopefully, a sign of progress.

The last couple of weeks has, however, seen a backlash by Arsenal supporters against this corporate sponsorship, as “visiting Rwanda” has taken on a completely new meaning. Supporters are asking that their team not be linked, by however distant an association, to the recently announced UK Government scheme whereby people deemed to have entered the UK unlawfully will be transported to the east African country, where they will be allowed to apply for the right to settle.

And, of course, it is not only Arsenal supporters who are upset and angry. The UNHCR has branded the act unlawful, and many charities have voiced strong opposition to the scheme. Perhaps most tellingly, the Archbishop of Canterbury used his recent Easter message to give his own reflection on the ethical questions raised by sending asylum seekers overseas. He said:

“The details are for politics and politicians; the principle must stand the judgement of God. And it cannot. It cannot carry the weight of resurrection justice, it cannot carry the weight of life conquering death, it cannot carry the weight of the resurrection that was revealed first to the least valued, for as a policy it privileges the rich and the strong. And it cannot carry the weight of our national responsibility as a county formed by Christian values, because subcontracting out our responsibilities, even to a country that seeks to do well like Rwanda, is the opposite of the nature of God who Himself took responsibility for our failures.”

In my own reflections on this, I am drawn to Matthew 25: verses 31-45 – the parable of the Sheep and the Goats. If you have time, I encourage you to read it in full. The key verses are 35-36, and 40 which say:

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me...

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury reminds us of the very nature of God and that in the death and resurrection of Jesus, God took on responsibility for our failures. Jesus, through the parable of the Sheep and the Goats, tells us how we should respond to this greatest of gifts.

Philip Clarke