Xenophobia - the wider impact?

Xenophobia

We have been looking at this issue from a Christian perspective.  Another passage of scripture that speaks to this issue is Isaiah 16:3.  Life is so fragile, our physical existence as well as our living conditions can dramatically change very quickly.  None of us know if we may not be a refugee or an alien in a foreign country at the mercy of others at any time.  Even the most affluent among us could find ourselves dramatically and unexpectedly as foreigners at the mercy of angry and hostile people. 

In the Time magazine dated June 16 2008, p. 56, Alex Perry has written an interesting article bringing a different perspective.  While I think there is a lot of validity in this globalization poverty perspective I still come back to the real heart of the matter.  The sinfulness of the human heart.  Why is it that there is ‘widening inequality’ in 59% of countries around the world and only 5% showing a decline in inequality?

The Bible teaches us clearly our hearts are deceitful and it is so easy for us to convince ourselves that we need more.  So what is the real solution?  The only real solution is for people to turn to God.  This may sound simplistic but without conversion to God, these problems will continue.  No humanitarian solution by the world, whether the UN or whoever has real solutions.  This is not to say that Christians have got it right, or have done it right, they do make mistakes, and they are not perfect.  Yet, if all faith based efforts of help had to be withdrawn, what is left?  This would be true around the world.