Weren't we all once spiritual refugees?

Like a lot of other people, I've been following the Syrian refugee crisis.

Some countries have closed their doors. Others seem more hospitable.

A nephew of mine recently said, that in the history of immigration, it's either a "pull or push" situation. That is, something in the country of origin has gotten so intolerable that it forces a person to leave; or else another country has something so alluring that it motivates a person to come.

Either way there is a leaving of what's familiar, of what's considered normal in order to be pushed or pulled to go someplace else.

While this is happening, of course, there are all sorts of opinions being given. Politics aside, it comes down to if other countries are willing to open their doors or shut them. Most recently there have been hundreds if not thousands of voices lifted up offering opinions one way or the other. 

And it got me to thinking, on it's simplest level, weren't we all once spiritual refugees? 

That is, from a faith perspective, weren't we once "lost?" Weren't we strangers in a strange land? Didn't our descendants spend 40 years wandering in the desert as refugees after escaping from Egypt - ironically only a hop-and-a-skip from Syria?

Didn't we receive protection by being placed under God's wings? As followers of God's son, didn't we receive a warm welcome into another kingdom-country? Guaranteed open access for all eternity to God's love, mercy and grace?

Aren't you glad that God didn't set up a security patrol to keep unwelcome guests out? Aren't you thankful that God didn't require us to speak God's language or have the proper identification papers before welcoming us in?

I'm so thankful that God didn't close the border to heaven!

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