Perspectief 2017-36

Perspectief 26 Werk van jonge theologen • The establishment of a European-based search-and-rescue program, similar to the Italian government’s former Mare Nostrum 84 operation, to patrol the Mediterranean Sea; • The creation of “safe passage corridors”, destined especially for refugees from Syria and Iraq; • The establishment of a just system of distribution of refugees amongst the European Union’s member countries. 85 In cooperation with the UNHCR and faith-based organisations, the LWF has published a document entitled Welcoming the Stranger: Affirmations for Faith Leaders , which recognises all major religions’ emphasis on welcoming strangers and international humanitarian law’s roots in religious texts pertaining to hospitality 86 . 2. Lutheran theological perspectives Mirroring the chapter on Catholic perspectives, we will now analyse the theological perspective of a Lutheran theologian and that of a clergyman, the Lutheran bishop of Chicago. Exegete David Balch is a professor of New Testament studies, while Bishop Miller 84 Operation Mare Nostrum was a search-and-rescue program initiated and financed by the Italian government in October 2013 after multiple fatal migrant shipwrecks. It was terminated in October 2014 as Italy could no longer afford the €9,000,000 monthly cost and other European countries refused to contribute financially. It was followed up by Operation Triton , a border control operation supported by fifteen European states yet with a significantly lower budget. The number of migrant deaths at sea has increased ninefold since Triton replaced Mare Nostrum . (Ministero della Difesa (undated) Mare Nostrum Operation accessed June 1, 2016 at http://www.marina.difesa.it/EN/operations/Pagine/MareNostrum.aspx; Denti, A. (2015) Hundreds drown off Libya, EU leaders forced to reconsider migrant crisis accessed June 1, 2016 at http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-idUSKBN0NA07020150419. ) 85 Lutheran World Federation (2015) Resolution from the European LWF Church Leadership Consultation accessed June 1, 2016 at https://www.lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/LWF_European_Church_Leadership_Trondheim_Resol ution-2015.pdf. 86 Lutheran World Federation (undated) Welcoming the Stranger .