One in Christ: Demonstrating Love

The massive anti-racist demonstrations of recent weeks have raised awareness of police brutality and systemic racism in the US. Similar demonstrations across Europe have stood in solidarity and sought to raise awareness of the lived reality of people of colour. While criticisms rage on all sides, we asked a number of black Christians in Ireland to share their heart with the body of Christ here. Pastor Amos Ngugi from Acts of Compassion Ministry in Dublin runs a drop in centre for migrants and asylum seekers and co-ordinates the Ethnic Policing Forum.  He identifies fear and isolation as some of the biggest issues facing ethnic minorities in Ireland.

One in Christ: Demonstrating Love

By Pastor Amos Ngugi

We have a lot of people who come to us struggling with depression and anxiety. Many of the people living in asylum hostels have no family in Ireland and live on their own. They struggle with metal health issues.

PASTOR AMOS WITH HIS CLOSE FRIEND ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, PATRICK LEAHY, DUBLIN METROPOLITAN REGION.

A lot of them have fear:  what will happen if I am deported?  If someone has fled their home country and spent many years in Ireland, they would not know where to start if a deportation order came through. They have already built a connection here in Ireland.  It can be very difficult.

The majority of the people we have been talking to are experiencing a lot of fear.  When anybody is in that process of asylum and then something like this happens it can be overwhelming.

Yesterday, I talked with somebody from Mosney. People were afraid about the outcome of their asylum application but they were also afraid of dying here, isolated and alone.

Our drop in centre is based in Liberty Corner House, in James Joyce Street.  People do not need to have an appointment to come.  Thankfully we have a big building so we will be able to open safely even with social distancing.  

“As the body of Christ, we need to learn how to demonstrate the love of God to migrants and ethnic minority communities.”

People who come to us are very lonely and it takes time to build trust. Some of the issue may seem very small but it takes a while for people to open up.  We provide one to one counselling but people will often wait until the final session to share the deepest concerns.

One brother was coming to see me regularly and built a friendship.  It was clear that something was bothering him and finally he said, “If I get my papers to stay here, the first thing I will do is go to London.”  I asked, “Why?” 

He replied,  “Five years ago when I came to Ireland I left my clothes in London and I want to go and collect them.”  He had been struggling for five years because he had left his clothes behind.  You could see those clothes meant a lot to him (even though maybe they don’t even fit after all this time).  

Now this brother comes and he is very happy and seems less worried about his clothes.  If we can demonstrate the love of Christ, we shine the light of Jesus into people’s lives.

I think here in Ireland we are doing quite well in integration.  The majority of Irish people have been very good to us.   What happened in America is not good but we run the Ethnic Policing Forum here to help anyone who is afraid to go to the police.  In the forum, people can address their problems and concerns in smaller groups. An Garda Síochána Dublin have been very friendly and people feel safe to talk to them.  In February, we had the Ethnic Policing Forum conference and it was well attended by 70 people.  The Assistant Commissioner was there.  

I’m very connected with church leaders here.  Church is where you can connect with a lot of people and talk about the benefit of integration.  We invite peole who have an issue with the police or a problem with discrimination or hate crime to come and meet the gardaí. Sometimes people are facing problems and the pastors are able to provide help and support because they know who is struggling.  

Usually our centre also provides education and training with drug awareness programmes and employment support.  We do HIV testing in partnership with ACET.  And we want to listen to people to hear what they want to see changed.