Immigration has never been a popular subject because it implies separation, loss and change. Both the immigrant and those at home are left with memories. There is always the hope of return but for many this is seldom realised.
For those who do return to what they think of as ‘home’, often it doesn’t feel like home anymore and the readjustment is almost as difficult as the going away.
Those left behind don’t always understand the experience of the immigrant, and the immigrant probably doesn’t fully grasp that those left behind experience similar loneliness and isolation. Unless experiences are shared, both sides in the immigration saga will never really be part of each other’s journey. Ultimately, immigration is the human heart on a journey of hope.
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope (Jeremiah 29:11)
Reflection
What are your own experiences of migration? Can you think of any migration stories in the Bible? What can we learn from them?
Fr Bobby Gilmore SSC has been a Columban missionary priest in the Philippines and Jamaica and is now based in Ireland. We thank the Columbans in the United Kingdom for their articles - www.columbans.co.uk.
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