Ever wondered why your networks grow so easily within displaced ethnic groups compared to the people in your own country? Ever wondered why these displaced groups are on softer ground than they are in their home country? Ever wanted to reach out to the harder and sometimes more dangerous fishing grounds, but they seemed out of your league? Well, they are softer, and yes, you can reach out back to their home countries.

Well, it is not magic, and it is not a new idea. One of the first recorded diasporas in the world was when Israel was captured and taken away to Assyria, and later again to Babylon. This, for the short to medium term, at least had some bad effects. However, it does demonstrate the process we are going to talk about today. Israel was supposed to be a light to the world, but when their world was turned upside down and they were moved to someone else’s backyard, all of their old comforts, traditions, safeguards, etc. were not set up yet. It was then that some took on their new country’s traditions and religions. (Even earlier, the same thing happened when they entered the land of Canaan.) These “new” religions and practices were easily assimilated but very hard to root out. Some individuals with a strong foundation in their faith were a light to their new hosts, but the nett effect was probably the other way.

Today is no different! Australia and other parts of the world have played host to a wide range of refugees and immigrants. At first, they are a little daunted and eager to assimilate into their new societies, but eventually homesickness or some other reason seems to draw ex-patriots together again. Some groups in the past have bonded so tightly that they formed ghetto-style areas that became a time capsule of the world they left. In Australia, examples of this could be the various “China Towns,"  Vietnamese, Muslim, Greek, and Eastern/Central European communities in different areas. There are some areas that I am cautious about walking alone in at night because I am Caucasian. In one area, I have seen the normal laws of the country unofficially suspended and replaced with the laws of their parent country. A suburb within a suburb is a country within a country.

When this happens, these groups have bonded in such a way that the ground becomes very hard to plough and sow something new into it. This new community, usually a minority group, will have usually circled the waggons against Indian attacks from outside. They are usually afraid that their beliefs and way of life will be eroded by the influence of the majority group in their new country. They become inwardly focused and have many defences as well as many “key holders” that guard the entrances and exits. In the case of my own culture, the Danish, they appeared more Danish than the present-day Danes. Even the language had been frozen in time, dating back to the 1950s. I can barely have the simplest conversation with any contemporary Dane who is over here on holiday.

So there seems to be a sweet spot from when these people first arrive in a new country, but before they bond into a concreted culture, that is a time capsule of what they left. This includes individuals or couples who arrive much later on than the main group and may have a sweet spot before they plug themselves into an existing cultural structure. It is these sweet spots we should be actively looking for on our prayer walks!

When we find someone new to the country (or even the state), we must check to see if the Holy Spirit has been working on them from the inside. They may be more receptive than some of the of the people we have met before. Push on these doors and see if they open!

If they are receptive, they can be the perfect vehicle to spread the Good News to others in their people groups. I have even seen these chains stretch all the way back into their parent countries and the traditionally hard ground that has produced little in the past. These are the “People of Peace” we should be praying for and actively looking for.

My mentor and his team recently got back from the Greek Isles, where they spent time in refugee camps of displaced people groups. They found a field that was “white” and ready for the harvest. I too have been working with displaced people in Australia, in particular in Tasmania. These are the golden moments that we should all be looking for.

In conclusion, it does not matter if it is your new neighbour that just moved in from the next big city or a couple that was just forced out of their homes and chased halfway around the world; we should be actively looking for these people that have not found their feet yet. The Holy Spirit may be preparing them to reach out to a vast oikos of people we will never be able to reach ourselves.

So don't be shy; give it a go for Jesus! Be the first to welcome a stranger into the community.

Cheers

Macka