“We’re sitting here because we got here first!”
These were the words I heard recently as a group of
children crowded around a fire to toast marshmallows. They are the words used every day by
schoolchildren as they stake their claim to a particular seat, or an area of
the playground, or their right to use favourite piece of play equipment.
The words, “I was here first” are presented as an
incontestable answer to anyone who might want to share in the good thing that
has been claimed. It is rare for anyone to question the rights of those who “got here first” and the same thinking often persists into adulthood. It manifests in various ways and remains as incontestable as ever. The person who lives in a nice area of town is able to object to more housing development nearby simply on the grounds that they arrived in the area first. They may recognise that they are privileged to live where they do, but the rights of others to join them are trumped by the simple fact that they arrived first.
In recent months Facebook has been flooded by posts
produced by Britain First and similar groups.
These posts seem almost universally to appeal to this old playground
maxim as the needs, rights and humanity of immigrants and refugees are
dismissed because they must take second place to those of us who are fortunate
enough to have “got here first”.
The idea that we might be inconvenienced, suffer a drop
in standard of living, or have to share our limited resources with those
desperate displaced people who lacked the foresight to arrive here before us is
outrageous and must be opposed at every level.
The notion that the need for basic safety, food, clothing and shelter
should be allowed to override the law of the playground that defends the rights
of those who arrive first must be opposed by suitably infantile responses and
bullying language to make it clear that the old order of things must not be
challenged.
Jesus said that, “Many who are first will be last, and
the last first.” (Matthew 19:30 and elsewhere).
In light of these words a name like “Britain First” seems incredibly ill-advised
as to place oneself in first place without first clearing it with Jesus is a
likely prelude to being demoted to last place.
At the very least before using such terminology we would be wise to
consider what Jesus might say about his agenda for immigrants and
refugees. To those people among my Facebook friends who still feel inclined to share or like posts by Britain First I would simply ask that before doing so you read the following words of Jesus from the book of Matthew, chapter twenty five:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the
angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations,
and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep
from the goats. And he will place the
sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those
on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and
you came to me.’ Then the righteous will
answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty
and give you drink? And when did we see
you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and
visit you?’ And the King will answer
them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my
brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,
you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I
was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome
me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit
me.’ Then they also will answer, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or
in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I
say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do
it to me.’ And these will go away into
eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
