During Black History month in Canada, we give thanks for the faith resilience and contributions of Black communities, and we also confront the painful realities of racism and exclusion that persist in our society. It is not only about remembrance , but about truth telling, repentence and renewed commitment to justice. Canada's history includes not only stories of welcome, but also moments of deliberate exclusion of vulnerable populations.
In 1911, under Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier, an Order in Council was drafted to prohibit Black immigration on the grounds that "the Negro race" was deemed unsuitable to the climate and requirements of Canada. Though never fully enacted, its very existance reveals how deeply anti-Black racism was embedded in national policy.
Immigration has long been a story of survival and hope. People cross borders fleeing war, persecution, poverty or enviromental collapse, seeking safety for their families and a future filled with possibility. Canada itself is shaped by such journeys. Yet in recent years, the narrative has undergone a troubling reversal: immigrants are no longer portrayed as people in danger, but as dangers themselves.
This rhetorical flip is not accidental. It is a calculated political strategy designed to consolidate power, distract from systemic failures, and stir fear in anxious populations. Instead of compassion, we hear language of "invasions, " "job theft," and "cultural erosion". Immigrants, especially those from racialized communities, are too often framed as criminals, freeloaders or threats.
Scripture warns us about such distortions. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). When human beings are reduced to stereotypes, public fear becomes a tool of exclusion rather than a call to solidarity.
Black communities know this pattern well. Anti-Black racism has repeatedly cast Black people through the lens of danger and criminality. During the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-Asian hatred surged, fueled by racist rhetoric. Indigenous communities are often framed as obstacles to development rather than peoples asserting sovereignty after centuries of colonization. Members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities are frequently targeted in cultural "wars, " portrayed as threats to society's moral fabric.These narratives are scapegoating mechanisms. They deflect attention from deeper crisis: widening inequality, housing insecurity, climate emergency, crumbling public infrastructure and governmental inaction. When people are afraid, they become more willing to support policies that promise safety at the cost of someone else's dignity. The gospel calls the church to reject such fear-based politics. Jesus identifies himself with the vulnerable: I was a stranger and you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35). The stranger is not a threat to be managed but a neighbour to be embraced and loved.
Fear-driven narratives do real harm. They created climates of hostility, normalize discrimination, and incite violence. Hate crimes rise, and legal protections are stripped away. The message becomes unmistakable: some lives matter less.
But the church cannot accept such a message. We follow the One who was himself a refugee, carried to Egypt under threat of death (Matthew 2:13-15). We worship a Saviour who consistently stood with those pushed to the margins. The biblical command is clear: Do not oppress the foreigner... remember that you were foreigners (Exodus 23:9).
Black History Month reminds us that the arc of history does not bend toward justice on its own. It bends when we act together for justice and with love. To reclaim the humanity of immigrants and marginalized communities is not political resistance, it is gospel witness.
The church is called to be a community where dignity is not debated, where fear is not weaponized, and where every person is seen as made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In this work, we proclaim not suspicion, but welcome; not scapegoating, but solidarity; not fear, but Christ's liberating love.
Abundant blessings in Christ,
-Ali
(This article originally appeared in the April/May 2026 edition of the Canada Lutheran)
