Debbie and Jim assist the Evangelical Christian Baptist Union of Italy in ministry to English-speaking immigrant, particularly African, congregations.

Jim writes: The southernmost part of Italy is an island named Lampedusa.  This Italian island is closer to the coast of North Africa than to the coast of Italy, just 70 miles from Tunisia.   When refugees from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East want to get to Europe, they often head for Lampedusa. From Lampedusa they continue to the Italian mainland. 

As a result of the revolution in Tunisia, 5,500 Tunisians have landed in Lampedusa.  They need food, clothing, healthcare, and housing.  And, in accordance with international law, they need to have their cases reviewed if they choose to apply for asylum because they fear persecution in their homeland.  They are in Italy now, and Italy is responsible for them. 

Fast forward to the future: Libya.  As the situation deteriorates, how many Libyans will flee to Italy?  Estimates range from 300,000 to 1,500,000.  Evangelical Christians in Italy, of course, are asking:  What is our role in this?  How can we bring the love of God and the values of God’s people to bear on this developing situation?  In other words:  What opportunity is there in all of this for us to act like Christians?  The Baptist Union with whom we work is part of a larger protestant group called the Federation of Evangelical Churches in Italy (FCEI). They are already beginning to educate and encourage churches to meet this challenge.  They celebrate the good things that could come out of this for people in North Africa and the Middle East.  But they acknowledge the dislocation and hardship this transition inevitably brings.  They are reminding us of our responsibility as believers.  They keep using the words accogliere (to welcome) and proteggere (to protect).  These are very Christian words; they are at the heart of the Hebrew Law and the Gospel (Deut 10:17-19; Matt 25:35).

The Italians with whom we work are taking these passages seriously, literally, enthusiastically.  They see in these new arrivals to their land an opportunity to act like Christians, to bring the Kingdom of God a bit closer. 

• Pray for our Italian brothers and sisters as they face up to this enormous task. 
• Pray for those who have come and for those who will come.