No Rest for the Innocent: A Picnic attacked by the Police

— marta gustavsson

Where do churches have their loyalty? The answer – to the cross – should be obvious. A Church, an entity of people belonging to, confessing, searching to follow Christ, should have its allegiance clear.

Society and state can relate in various ways to this. They might follow, they might allow or they might oppose – but they can’t change the way the gospel calls us to live. Surely, sometimes they also try to change and incorporate the Church into their own views – this I believe we must resist.

But it does hurt when allowance is turned into opposition. In Church of Sweden and the congregations of Malmö we experienced this during the end of this summer. A few families, tied to some of our churches, went for a weekend's camp organized by the Church. They went for recreation and rest, much needed since, being undocumented refugees, they have so much stress and so few safe spaces.

Unfortunately, what was meant to be a moment to breathe, became quite the opposite as the camp was surrounded by border police. 30 people, policemen and translators, accompanied by dogs, detained the families in what has been described as a much unsettling manner. The families were split and the children were scared.

So much can be said about this, about the asylum laws and the situation for the undocumented, but there is also a larger question that I believe all Christians throughout Europe must relate to. What happens when our states interferes with the ngo’s and churches’ humanitarian and social work? How do we keep up showing love, act for the least of us, guard the immigrants, when we lose the trust and allowance of our states? Already our friends ask if it’s safe to come to services, to gather for Bible studies. ‘There are no safe zones’ say the leaders of our border police.

Maybe this is just an isolated event. Maybe the worries we have this autumn will soon prove unnecessary, maybe soon the safe spaces will be taken back. But maybe the situation really has changed for us? The way of the Cross may prove harder but hopefully our faith will prevail.

— marta gustavsson

Marta Gustavsson is a pastor in Church of Sweden, serving in Malmö. She has been a board member of scm Sweden during which time her passion for community, compassion and justice grew strong.