Greetings from the Editor
Dear Friends,
Migration has been a frequent headline in recent days, and our writers shed light on the particular configurations of contemporary situations while reminding us of the large-scale nature of migration as a human condition that has existed from the dawn of life on this planet we call home—or, as one of our authors puts it, since Adam and Eve. Our writers also remind us that migration is always accompanied by stories of separation and suffering. I remember a Chinese mother tearfully saying, “A good son goes really far away.” Make it all genders, both for parents and children. Make it all inclusive for all who leave and others who struggle to learn to let them go. Many songs and poems dwell on the sorrow of parting from loved ones at ports of the sea or the air. These cultural incidents and customs ought to be cherished as the heritage of humanity.
Political forces have never accepted the responsibility for their part in migration, both in forcing people to migrate against their will and in seeking to stop the flow of people searching for space to dwell. Meanwhile, those who have gone through or are in the state of migration lose the location that once was called their home, often under hostile circumstances. How we can put into practice solidarity with those who are yet to find their new home remains the most urgent task of our century, not only for all believing communities, but for humanity as a whole.
Heavily grief-ridden though it is, migration also represents a chance for the world. Some appeal to humanitarian causes, and many intellectuals showcase how the cost of receiving those who migrate will eventually and positively be offset by the contribution they will make in their new place. Apart from every practical prognostication, our authors call for a theology and commitment that will undergird the biblical mandate of welcoming strangers and foreigners.
God created most living beings mobile. In many parts of Asia, animals are called “moving things.” Modern biologists remind us that plants also migrate. Migration is a fact of life and facet of living. It is natural, whereas making misery of the lives of others is not. Perhaps we can learn from the wise ancient king, Solomon, who when he prayed at the dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem, included this line: “Likewise when a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant land because of your name . . . then hear in heaven your dwelling place, do according to all that the foreigner calls to you” (1 Kings 8:41-43).
Peace,
Jin H. Han, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
