Asylum Seekers and Refugees
How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. (Psalm 84:1-3)
A scribe then approached and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:19-20)
Providing sanctuary and safe passage resonates with the story of St Albans Cathedral and St Albans Diocese through the life of Britain’s first martyr, Alban.
Alban protected the life of a Christian priest from Rome, Amphibalus, seeking asylum in England. The Roman soldiers beheaded Alban when he refused to turn Amphibalus over to them, giving himself in his stead.
Alban is an exceptional example of Christian sacrifice and hospitality – and his story provides inspiration and guidance in the current refugee crisis.
