In heaven's eyes there are no losers; In heaven's eyes no hopeless cause; Just people like you with feelings like me Amazed by the grace we have found in heaven's eyes[1]

The words of this song struck a chord with me recently. They reminded me of another song I heard years ago: 'She has her father's eyes'. Many people say that my seven month old daughter has her dad's eyes. The same should be true of us as Christians: as children of our heavenly Father we should see people and situations as God sees them, rather than viewing them from the world's perspective.

A heart like God's

Mission involves this concept. After Jesus had risen from the dead, he came to his fearful disciples saying, ''Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit.''[2] Before he ascended into heaven he reminded them where the resources for their witness for him throughout the world would come from: 'You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.'[3] We are sent, as Jesus was, in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are sent as God's representatives: to do his work, to fulfil his will, to proclaim his message and to demonstrate his character.

Being filled with the Spirit of God, we will have his heart. In Isaiah 61:1-3 we see the characteristics of God's servant - supremely Jesus, but also those who follow him. These include bringing good news to the poor and healing to the wounded, comforting those who mourn and turning despair to praise, as well as seeking justice for the oppressed and freedom for captives. Similarly Psalm 146:9 encourages us to look to the Lord, the creator of all, who 'watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but…frustrates the ways of the wicked.'

Having looked at the basis of mission, I'm now going to consider the biblical perspective of those who are vulnerable in society, with examples of contemporary Christian involvement at a local level, focussing on refugees and asylum-seekers.

God's character and commands

God is concerned about those who are vulnerable in our world, and we see this throughout the Bible.

The Old Testament Law includes God's commands to his people concerning their behaviour towards particular groups. He warns them not to ill-treat or take advantage of the foreigner, widow, alien or poor, including paying an employee fairly and treating a foreigner with the same good-will as a native, ensuring they receive justice.[4] The great and awesome God protects and provides for these people and reminds the Israelites to love the foreigner as they themselves know how it feels to be an outsider.[5] Those who were without means of support were to be allowed to work in the fields gathering the food left by the harvesters.[6] A surprising perspective is given in Leviticus 25:35 - they are to help a fellow countryman who has fallen on hard times as they would help a foreigner, again remembering the Lord's compassion and generosity towards them.

Proverbs and the other wisdom books give further insights into God's perspective. Our attitude to the needy is a reflection of our attitude to God, whether this is contempt or respect.[7] Thus if we ignore their plight we will find our own cries go unheard,[8] and if we exploit or oppress them we will have to face up to God who is their advocate.[9] Those with influence have a particular responsibility to be the voice of the voiceless.[10]

Likewise the prophets come down heavily on those who exploit the vulnerable or neglect the needy,[11] reminding the people of God's concern for justice, mercy and compassion.[12] Those who show integrity and give of themselves to serve others will experience God's help.[13]

We learn from the attitude of the early church that helping the poor should be an integral part of church life.[14] It is not an easy task and needs the direction and power of the Holy Spirit as well as a right balance with evangelism, teaching and prayer.[15] Christians are to be distinctive in demonstrating respect and practical care rather than discrimination.[16]

Jesus' powerful words in Matthew 25:31-46 and his identification with 'the least of these' must cut us to the heart. How we treat others is how we treat him. We will be judged according to our care or lack of care for those in any kind of need.

21st century challenges

It is not difficult to identify vulnerable people in today's society: the homeless, the drug addict, the alcoholic; the housebound, the elderly, the chronically sick, the mentally ill; prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families; the child or young person in care; the refugee or asylum seeker; the prostitute; the uneducated or illiterate; those living on disadvantaged housing estates; single parent families; those on a low income or the long term unemployed; illegal immigrants and those smuggled or trafficked here to be exploited; religious minorities; those attracted to the same sex; those who cannot speak English or who have a different skin colour or culture; travelling people; those who face domestic abuse, and so many more.

There is much being done to help; we are tremendously privileged in the UK to have a social security system, a health service and social work departments. There are also government and voluntary initiatives to help those in need. But there is still much hopelessness and unmet need, much injustice, hostility and discrimination.

As Christians there are many existing opportunities for involvement and many examples of compassion that we can follow.

Living among the disadvantaged

An architecture graduate and his wife, Crawford and Sheila, were inspired by the concept of 'incarnational ministry' mentioned in Philippians 2:5-7, where 'Jesus…made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant'. So they went to live among those with whom they wanted to share their faith. After finishing college they moved to a relatively deprived area in Glasgow, where they brought up their two children. They faced opposition from some Christian friends and family who questioned what they were trying to do, sending their children to a primary school described as 'an annexe to the local prison'. Crawford rented a shop in the area for use as an office - not the best place for business. However, people who would not set foot in a church were willing to come into the office and chat. There was in fact a good Christian influence in the primary school.

They moved on a few years later to a housing estate in Dundee at the invitation of the local church. Living in a housing association flat, they could experience the reality of the area 24 hours a day, and there were opportunities to visit schools, build relationships and get involved in the community. A building project at the church led them to request help from local men who were unemployed, leading to the realisation that for many the main issue was not lack of money or lack of opportunities, but rather a lack of self-worth.

Reaching out to those on the edge

Robert has been working with the homeless for many years. It all started while he was unemployed, through his friendship with Harry, a retired Church of Scotland outreach worker. Harry still visited lodging houses in Glasgow where hundreds of men lived. As Robert puts it, Harry 'had a passion for the Lord and a burden for the disadvantaged'. As Robert entered the hostels he would often feel nauseated by the smell. Together they handed out clothing (many of the men had only one change of clothes at most), and Robert did hair cuts while Harry talked with the men. Many were initially reticent but gradually opened up as trust was gained, recounting life stories of drink problems that destroyed families, leading in a downward spiral to destitution. Younger men had been thrown out by their families because of drug problems and had ended up in trouble with the police or in prison.

Robert and Harry gave the men leaflets about Jesus Christ and encouraged them to go to services at the local mission hall, reminding those who felt they would just fall back from following Christ into their old ways that 'keeping it going is not your problem'. Only by relying on God's strength could they know lasting change in their lives.

Through this work Robert met Hugh and Maureen McKenna of Glasgow City Mission and became involved in soup runs to help those living on the street. Hugh and Maureen went on to develop the Open Doors Trust, which has expanded into work in prisons, particularly drug rehabilitation, Bible study and support in the community.

More recently Robert has been involved with a local church helping asylum seekers who have been housed in the parish. This includes a drop-in centre where secondhand clothes and other donated items such as cooking pots and prams are available, as well as a chance to chat over a cup of tea or coffee. There are also English classes run by a qualified teacher with volunteers giving one-to-one support, often leading to friendships.

What about me?

As medical students and doctors there are many opportunities to work in a voluntary capacity with the vulnerable. Some live in more deprived areas or become involved in a local church in such an area, building relationships and doing what they can, for example with the children in Sunday school or at a holiday club. Others are leaders at camps for underprivileged children or children in care. The Salvation Army, local City Mission or other groups such as Oasis may provide means for helping the homeless. There are schemes for supporting the housebound, for example helping patients discharged from hospital settle back into their home. ACET and other groups provide similar support for those with AIDS.[17] Through MedSIN, many medical students work with groups such as refugees.[18] There are opportunities to teach literacy skills to native speakers, or support those learning English as a second language.

Doctors may choose to work with the homeless, asylum seekers, disabled or patients in nursing homes. Those in hospital jobs and students on placement can be distinctive in the way they treat a patient with dementia or the terminally ill, the alcoholic or the teenager admitted following an overdose.

Three years ago I saw a post advertised for a salaried general practitioner (GP) to work in a practice in inner city Glasgow that expected to be taking on 500 asylum seekers. I had previously felt I lacked experience for such a post but I soon realised that dealing with such patients would be a challenge for any doctor. There were several other young GPs in the city also starting to work in this new area and it was an opportunity to learn together and initiate training for interested health professionals. I have found great satisfaction in the job whilst also finding that the sorrows and frustrations experienced by my patients have had a profound effect on me.

Real live refugees

The issue of asylum seekers has received a lot of attention in the UK media recently, often with a negative slant. It may therefore be useful to clarify some of the facts.

In December 2002 the top four countries represented by new asylum claimants were Iraq, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Somalia; not surprising in view of the political situations in these countries. However, new UK legislation introduced this year means that those who are already in the UK cannot claim asylum (in contrast with those who claim immediately on arrival), even though about 65% of positive decisions are given to such people. Since the introduction of this restriction, some individuals have won a High Court case against the government resulting in support being granted; others are still facing destitution. In 2001 the positive decision rate (ie proportion of applicants given leave to remain in the UK on first application) was 31%, with an additional estimated 51% of initial failures achieving subsequent success, many through appeals. This contrasts with the widespread perception that the majority of claims are bogus.[19]

Since April 2000, many applicants for asylum have been 'dispersed' from the south east of England, where most arrive, to towns and cities throughout the UK. Many of the 8,000 or more who have been sent to Glasgow are housed in empty council flats in areas where local people would not want to be housed. Some here, as elsewhere, face hostility, although many have found welcoming faces and support, including notably from several churches that have become involved.

The life stories of many reveal much suffering including persecution, threats, torture, rape, loss of family members who have been killed, gone missing or been left behind, as well as the effects of war or a country in chaos. Many face complex home situations, marital tensions, fear of the future, loss of status, disillusionment and despair.

Health needs

Medical issues are broad and include access to healthcare as well as a variety of medical conditions. In some parts of the UK it may be difficult to register with a GP. There may be difficulties understanding our systems of primary and secondary care and appointments as these often differ from the infrastructure in their home countries. Language barriers require good interpreters and an efficient system for obtaining their services when needed. Most medical problems are similar to those faced by British patients, from upper respiratory tract infections and dyspepsia to asthma and diabetes, although there are higher incidences of some conditions in those from certain parts of the world. These include skin problems such as fungal infections and scabies; musculoskeletal problems or headaches resulting from accidents or torture; peptic ulcers, renal stones, intestinal parasites, TB and HIV. Many suffer from insomnia and are anxious or depressed. Pregnancy-related issues are also common, including unwanted pregnancy, miscarriage and stillbirth. Some struggle with impotence whilst others face infertility. Many are concerned about their children who may also have psychological problems because of their experiences. A few are physically handicapped or have learning disabilities.

That was then, this is now…

The Bible is full of migrants of many kinds, including refugees. People have been on the move since the beginning of time. It may be interesting to consider some parallels between then and now.

Some run away from their own mistakes. In Exodus 2:15 we read of Moses fleeing Egypt because he had murdered an Egyptian and had been found out. Similarly Jacob fled retribution from Esau having stolen his birthright and blessing.[20] Each of these however found themselves pursued by the living God, not in punishment but in love.[21] In 2001 I met a young Kurdish man who had left his country suffering psychologically due to feelings of guilt about a man's death, for which he felt responsible.

There are many biblical examples of economic migrants. Abraham went to Egypt to escape famine.[22] He lied about his wife's identity to protect his life. I am reminded of an African woman in Scotland who was sent to prison for four months after admitting that she had lied to the Home Office and reclaimed asylum under a new name because of her fear of being sent home. She was a Christian and knew she finally had to tell the truth despite the likely consequences.

Many prominent characters in the Bible had to flee danger or persecution. Jesus' family themselves became refugees in Egypt, fleeing the determination of Herod to kill their child.[23] The early Christians were scattered in the persecution that followed Stephen's martyrdom.[24] I encountered an Iranian woman with her husband and two children who had helped some students who were involved in a demonstration against the government near their home. She had subsequently been arrested and tortured. Following her release the family had escaped to the UK.

The emotions of those far from home because of circumstances beyond their control are echoed in Psalm 137:1, 'By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.' Anguish, frustration and anger are characteristic then and now.

Yet, in all of this, God is working out his purposes in the world, including bringing people to a place where they can hear the great message of Jesus Christ. Most importantly, sinners need to be saved by the one who 'was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering'.[25] An Albanian family came to the UK knowing they could find out about Christianity. They were baptised in a small church in Glasgow where they and other refugees have brought a surprising future to an elderly congregation.

For those who are looking forward to God's kingdom there is always hope:

I will create new heavens and a new earth…the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more…No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat…my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands.[26]

Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.[27]

Injustice will be a distant memory as the nations worship the Lord and live in peace.

Conclusion

As Christians we are called to imitate God in caring for the weak and vulnerable. As we do this, we need his power and love, his wisdom and guidance. With his help we can make a difference in our own nation and around the world.