How to be a friend to an immigrant
Recognizing that many who come to this country are looking for a better life, we approach them affirming that their past is valuable and that their future is bright. Culture is nothing more than a set of rituals in which we adhere to and can differ simply because we have never learnt to do things another way.
God is bringing the nations to Canada and in order for us to be diligent about reaching them, we must first come alongside.
- Begin to pray for the people you cross paths with at your children’s school, in your office, in your neighborhood, at the gym, or in the marketplace.
- Learn the art of asking good questions:
1. Questions about the listener’s background
“What prompted your move to Canada?”
2. Questions that ask the listener’s opinion or advice,
“Where are your favorite places to eat in our area?”
3. Questions that involve the listener’s imagination or ask for their emotions.
“How do you feel about the recent changes in our neighborhood?”
- Discover the joy of practicing random acts of kindness:
Surprise a colleague with a plate of homemade cookies or show up at a neighbor’s door with a potted plant.
- Find a need and meet it:
Are they in need of ESL classes? Refer them to local schools or church programs.
Do they need help with childcare? Refer them a list of trusted babysitters or watch their children for a few hours.
Are they going through some crisis as a family? Reach out with a simple gesture, such as a card or a phone call, expressing care and offering prayer.
- Begin with tea or coffee: Invite them over for a cup of tea in your home or meet at a local coffee shop.
- Take an interest in their culture: Learn a phrase or two in their mother tongue or discover a tradition from their culture and ask them to explain it to you.
“The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love”. — Galatians 5:6
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love”. – 1 Cor. 13:13
“Love your neighbour as yourself” – Matthew 23:39
Love is to be a defining mark of the follower of Christ. So what does it look like to love a new immigrant? How do we cross cultures effectively?
Examining Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1 – 42), gives us some practical insights:
1. First, Jesus disregarded societal prejudices and entered the woman’s world, connecting with her as she went about her daily routine (vv. 4 – 7).
2. Second, Jesus opened the dialogue with a question (v.7).
3. Third, Jesus engaged the woman in interesting dialogue around a felt need: everyone needs to drink! (vv. 7 – 15).
4. Fourth, when her interest was peaked, Jesus had something to offer (vv. 13 & 14).
In the book “Finding Common Ground”, author Tim Downs considers the parable of the soil, where Jesus describes various stages of readiness to receive the Gospel. “The sower recognizes that certain soil elements are necessary for a person to be able to understand and believe the gospel. As Jesus said, there are good soils and bad soils, and each age has its characteristic soil deficiencies that challenge the sowing of the gospel (p.110)”.
Many new immigrants have little to no concept of who Jesus is and carry negative impressions of Christianity. We are called to be sowers, cultivating the soil around us in order to plant seeds of the Gospel. By asking good questions, moving conversations to highlight areas of commonality and agreement, and reflecting Christ in our daily routine, by God’s grace we will see hearts soften in order to receive the message of Christ (p. 128-141).
(“Finding Common Ground”, Tim Downs, Moody Press, Chicago, 1999.)
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